Like Strangers
by Photophobic
Summary: Sequel to Like Brothers. Trust and truth go hand in hand. Ulquiorra knows that, yet he still lies to his younger brother and thus Toshiro begins to doubt him. Then, like the moon, the situation changes...and lives are put at risk.
1. The Chase

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, any of its characters, and by now, I wouldn't doubt a copyright on this particular disclaimer either.**

**This is a sequel to my previous story, "Like Brothers."**

**Enjoy.**

…

**Like Strangers**

...

**1**

**The Chase**

...

The world spins counter-clockwise, each full rotation 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 47 seconds long. The moon chases after its relatively lazy spin and thus appears to change faces in a cycle at the length of 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, 02.9 seconds. This pursuit between the two bodies is what causes the "phases" of the moon. Ulquiorra remembered when there was only ever one "phase." It was a perfect crescent at all times, just as it would be in three days. Touching the cool glass of the window, he closed his eyes.

Too much like Hueco Mundo.

…

A near-perfect crescent, just like the last time he had been here, meaning it had been a month already. Captain Hitsugaya sighed as he roamed the streets in his gigai, looking for the address written on the paper in his hand. D- Urahara. His handwriting was near illegible. How that man ever made it as a captain was beyond him.

It was early in the night, only an hour past sunset, but even so Hitsugaya had expected his brother to be at Urahara's. Where else would the ex-Espada Ulquiorra Schiffer/Katashi Hitsugaya be? Apparently, at the place indecipherably recorded on that note. At least, that's what Urahara had told him.

Just when he was beginning to give up, a large building loomed up in front of him. It matched the description Urahara gave perfectly. He glanced at the name. A bookshop. As he stepped inside, Toshiro Hitsugaya wondered what on Earth Katashi was doing at a bookshop this late at night.

The cool air conditioning greeted him, something Hitsugaya was extremely grateful for. Quickly, his sharp blue-green eyes began to scan the store. It was useless trying to find the elder by his reiatsu due to Ulquiorra's gigai. The store was unusually crowded for this time of the day, Hitsugaya thought, and he began to curse his brother for having such a common hair color.

"Hitsugaya, be careful!" a deep male voice shouted.

Hitsugaya's head whipped around to see who was yelling at him-and that of all things-when he finally spotted a slim figure at the top of a rolling ladder. The man who'd spoken was by the base, glaring up to the person on the top. Toshiro then realized that the man hadn't been talking to him, but to the climber. To Katashi.

Toshiro strode to the other end of the store, where the pair was. The loud-mouthed one looked to him and immediately tacked on a more pleasant face. "Hello," he said, "do you need help?"

"No," Toshiro answered.

"Then you might want to step away from the ladder," the man warned. "Our newest recruit up there might fall on you."

"May I remind you that not only does my balance happen to be impeccable," Katashi shouted down, "but that I can easily hear you." He pulled something off the shelf and began to descend.

"Hey, kid," the man beside him said, "shouldn't you be with your parents or something?"

Toshiro's eye twitched. Luckily, years of practice enabled him to keep his cool. "I'm actually waiting for my brother."

"Oh, where is he?"

Hitsugaya jabbed a thumb up the ladder Katashi was coming down. The man looked startled. He glanced between the two of them before calling, "Hey, Hitsugaya, you have a visitor."

Ulquiorra jumped down the last step and nearly threw the book at the man's head. He turned around and gave a small half-smile. "Hello, Toshiro."

"You work here?" the younger brother asked in surprise.

"The conditions of this world would make it impossible for me to continue residing here without some form of income," Ulquiorra responded. "Also-"

"Ulquiorra!" a female voice called. The two looked over to where a red-head waved happily. Toshiro noticed that she wore an ID badge like Katashi.

"Inoue works here as well?" Toshiro inquired.

"She also needed a job in order to survive," Ulquiorra answered, walking her way. Toshiro followed.

"Captain Hitsugaya!" Orihime exclaimed upon seeing Toshiro. "I didn't expect to see you here. Wow, it's been a month already?"

"Did you need something?" Ulquiorra interrupted.

"Huh? Oh, yeah!" she answered. "I was going to ask if you would help me shelve these books, but since you're busy, I can just do it myself."

Ulquiorra glanced over at the large collection of heavy-looking volumes. "Nonsense, woman. You'll strain yourself."

She made a face at the name. Ulquiorra ignored her and began picking up a small stack. He turned to Toshiro. "I'm sorry, my shift has not ended yet. The store closes in an hour. You can either wait here or you can meet me back at Urahara's."

Quickly glancing between Katashi and Orihime, Toshiro said, "I'll go wait back at Urahara's."

"I will be back soon," Ulquiorra promised.

"Alright," Toshiro agreed. "By the way, you signed up using your old name?"

A faint hint of amusement shone in Ulquiorra. "No," he said, "not quite."

Ulquiorra held up the badge. Hitsugaya read it out loud. "Katashi-Ulquiorra Hitsugaya-Schiffer."

"I took Captain Kyouraku's suggestion," the pale man informed. "This way, there will be no suspicion should anyone call me by either name."

"You always were a good planner," Hitsugaya noted. "I'll see you later, then."

"As will I you," Ulquiorra responded.

As he left, Toshiro turned around one last time to see Ulquiorra and Orihime talking as they moved books. He thought that just for a second, he saw the traces of a genuine smile being hidden underneath his brother's mask. Then, the man from before-who Toshiro later discovered to be the manager-came by and started ordering them around. Toshiro exited through the door, a faint smirk lingering on his lips.

…

"Ichigo!" Rukia yelled. "Stop hogging all the Hollows!"

Said carrot-top turned to her right after the last one dissolved. "It's not like there aren't enough," he grumbled. "There sure have been a lot of them lately."

"Of course there are," Rukia said. "With Aizen gone, no one forces control over them anymore. The first thing they're going to do is make a break for the World of the Living."

Ichigo scratched his head uncertainly. "If you say so."

Rukia suddenly paused and looked off in another direction. "Captain Hitsugaya is close by," she noted.

"What, and the kid didn't even stop by to say hello?" Ichigo drawled.

Rukia scowled at him.

"It's been a month," Ichigo pointed out. "I bet he's here to visit Ulquiorra."

"That's strange," Rukia mumbled.

"Why is that strange?"

"No, not that," she replied. "I just sensed Captain Ukitake's reiatsu."

Ichigo smirked. "I guess it's going to be a big family reunion then."

…

Toshiro strolled across town, not particularly feeling like going back to Urahara's at the moment. He could feel Ichigo and Rukia fighting off in the distance. The more subtle hums of the other residents' reiatsu flickered all around him. It seemed like half the town was affected by the strange phenomena. In Karakura town, being spiritually aware was like the plague. He stopped and closed his eyes for a minute, just to take them all in. The three other Arrancar who had also taken up residence here-Nel, Pesche, and Dondochakka-were on the other side of town. Kurosaki's friends were scattered about, but the Quincy seemed the closest to him. The last was a tiny fire burning up ahead. He opened his eyes and noticed the sign for the Kurosaki clinic. Karin.

His feet swiftly guided him past the building, but he soon found himself being stopped by a loud voice shouting, "Hey, Toshiro!"

He looked up to see Karin waving madly at him from the window.

"Shouldn't you be in bed? Or don't you have school tomorrow?" he retorted.

"Please, it's vacation," she said, rolling her eyes. "What are you doing back?"

"I don't believe that's any of your business," he pointed out.

"Jeez, I was only asking," she retaliated. "No need to be so cold."

"I hope you see the irony in that," he answered.

She wrinkled her nose. "You know, we never got to finish our game. You just left without even saying goodbye."

He shrugged. "I had other matters to attend to."

"You know, you talk awfully old for someone my age," she observed.

Irritation instantly showed on his face. "I told you, I'm not a kid."

"Then how old are you?" she asked.

"Probably as old as your _grandfather_," he replied.

"Whaaat?" she exclaimed. "No way!"

He shook his head at her. "I have to go now."

"Oh, are you going back to that place where all the other Shinigami are?" she wondered.

"No, I will be here for several more days before departing for Soul Society again."

She nodded. "Then maybe I'll see you around."

He shrugged. "Who knows?"

Karin frowned. That was his answer to everything.

…

Toshiro entered Urahara's shop and froze in the doorway. "Captain Ukitake?" he blurted.

The white-haired man smiled gently. "Eh, hello Toshiro. I'm surprised you did not detect my reiatsu."

"My mind was preoccupied and admittedly you hide it very well," Toshiro answered. "What are you doing here?"

"What? I can't come to see my two favorite nephews?" he teased. His laughter was cut off by coughing.

"You do realize Katashi and I aren't technically even related to you, right?" Toshiro asked.

"Yes, of course," Ukitake replied. "I simply think that those times were so amusing."

Toshiro scowled and Ukitake ruffled his white hair lightly. Ever since he started remembering his past, Toshiro had noticed that Ukitake tended to come up quite often. Once their father died, Ukitake made it a point to help the family as much as possible. He would visit often and take care of Toshiro and Katashi when their mother was not well enough to do so. In fact, they'd become so used to his presence that the lines between "Mr. Ukitake" and "Uncle Ukitake" had started to blur and the latter title for him had become somewhat of a running joke. Toshiro remembered he would often tease that they were his favorite nephews, as he had been playing the role of the kind but sickly man with no family, yet who could give his whole life to the two boys as if they were his own.

After admitting that he remembered that, Toshiro had become subjected to the continuity of the joke. Ukitake had already acted like family before Toshiro remembered, but it was coming on stronger now. At least the man had enough sense to tone it down in public. Although here, out in the open, he had no qualms about calling him Toshiro and ruffling his hair. The only reason Toshiro could not argue was that if he called him Hitsugaya like normal, there would be difficulties distinguishing between him and Katashi. Thus, Toshiro allowed these minor transgressions.

Ukitake spoke up again. "To answer your question, though, Soul Society thought it might be a good idea to send me as well in case anything happened."

"Ah," Toshiro said. "Katashi said that he should be back in an hour."

"Yes, Kisuke was just telling me about his new job," Ukitake mentioned. "I heard that Miss Inoue is also working there."

"I saw her there, too," Toshiro replied.

"I bet they make quite the team," Ukitake said.

Toshiro looked at the man suspiciously. "I guess so."

"Well," the older captain announced, standing up, "I best be going then."

"I thought you wanted to see Katashi?" Toshiro inquired.

"I do," he answered, "but I do believe you need to see him more than I do. I can always stop by tomorrow. I would not want to intrude. Oh, also, Kiske told me to inform you that he, Yoruichi, and Tessai would all be absent for the next few hours."

Toshiro raised an eyebrow at this.

"Well, goodbye!" Ukitake called, stepping out the doorway and into the night.

…

Ulquiorra thought that he must be either crazy, mentally damaged, or both. Then again, there was always the possibility that he was simply turning more….Old reflexes made him hate to use the word in reference to himself. He had to force it out.

Human.

He pulled one hand out of its pocket to stare at its soft, fleshy surface. Yes, it was highly possible that he was becoming more human by the minute. The metallic ring dangling around his neck reminded him that there was still a Hollow deep inside him, but its cries were fading. In the whole month he had resided here, not once did he feel the insatiable hunger for souls. Human food was enough, although he didn't have his taste for it back yet. He wondered how Orihime was so enthusiastic about it, always insisting that she would find his favorite.

Ah, the woman. Ulquiorra was beginning to believe that maybe her real power was not to challenge the gods in rejecting their doings, but to defy them by transforming what they had created. Ulquiorra's straight-faced and emotionless remarks had given way to hints of feeling, however how slight. Most might not even notice, but Orihime was learning to read them. As much as she was learning, she was also teaching. It was the same subject she'd started in Hueco Mundo: the heart. She used the term often and tried to make him understand the concept he had only begun to brush upon.

His lips twitched upward at the thought and he immediately clamped back down on the smile. Then, he realized there was no one here to pressure him against it. Aizen no longer controlled him. There was no need to shut down all his emotions and expressions anymore. So, as a test, he let the action take over. It felt awkward and wrong on his face. He let it drop.

Ten minutes after he'd walked Orihime to her house-like he did every time they had shifts together and sometimes when they didn't-he arrived at the Urahara shop. Toshiro's reiatsu hummed softly inside. Opening the door softly, he found his younger brother collapsed on the couch. A certain softness edged its way into his eyes.

For a minute, Ulquiorra just stood there and watched, letting old memories play out in the background. Toshiro squirmed and mumbled something. He'd been turned into a restless sleeper. However, Ulquiorra was pleased that he was asleep at all.

Deciding that the reunion could wait until tomorrow, Ulquiorra crept past and moved into the kitchen. There was a note on the table from Urahara. The owner and his companions would not be back for a few hours. Beside it, there was another note from Ukitake to him, stating that he had also been sent along. Ulquiorra was in the process of digesting this information when small footsteps padded across the floor. A sleepy-eyed Toshiro stood in the doorway.

"Katashi?" he asked.

"You really are too light a sleeper," the elder brother replied.

"I must get it from you," Toshiro retorted.

"So you remember that much?"

Toshiro looked at him seriously. "More every night."

Ulquiorra clenched his hand inside his pocket. "…I see."

"You make that sound like there are some things you don't want me to remember," Toshiro yawned.

Ulquiorra walked past Toshiro, ruffling his white hair along the way. His hand paused for a moment. "Do not think too hard on it."

Toshiro turned around to face Ulquiorra's retreating back. The swift strides and hands buried deep in his pockets forced Toshiro into a vision of flapping coattails and half-helmets made of bone. The younger brother's expression showed comprehension.

"I'm not a little kid anymore," Toshiro stated.

"I know," Ulquiorra answered. "You have grown much in these years."

"Then realize that trying to protect me against my own memories is not necessary."

Ulquiorra's gaze drifted to the floor forlornly. "I never said it was a question of necessity."

"Katashi…"

"You look tired, Toshiro," Ulquiorra noted, still not turning around. "We can talk in the morning. Goodnight."

Toshiro froze in his spot and gazed at the empty space. His fingers clenched around the doorframe. Pain stabbed at his heart. He wondered how often Katashi felt the same thing.


	2. Protecting Childhood

**Protecting Childhood**

…

_Autumn leaves sprinkled the ground around them. Young Toshiro grinned crazily while spinning amongst them. Katashi laughed as the brightly colored leaves lodged themselves in his younger brother's spiky black tufts of hair. The two of them were only children. Loving life and these magical moments was all they knew._

_Off to the side, their mother, father, and Mr. Ukitake sat and talked about grown-up things. Occasionally, chuckles would fill the air due to the antics of the two. Peace. Harmony._

"_Daddy!" Toshiro cried, running towards their father. He held a bright red leaf in his hands. He held it out towards his father, crying, "Look!"_

"_It's very nice," his father complimented. He rubbed his child's head. The boy ran off giggling._

"_Katashi," Toshiro called, "do you see those leaves up there?"_

"_Yes, I see them," Katashi answered, brightly colored eyes locking onto the vibrant bunch not even a foot above his head._

"_Bet you I can reach them," Toshiro challenged._

"_You're too small," Katashi pointed out._

"_Am not!" Toshiro huffed indignantly. With his mind set, the small boy began to jump to reach the patch. He was on his fifteenth jump when his patience began to wear down. Right before he was about to give up, the ground seemed to shake beneath his feet. Several of the bright leaves tumbled down. He picked one up and stared at it curiously. The ground moved again._

"_Earthquake!" his mother cried. "Quick, children, get out into the field."_

_Katashi nodded and grabbed Toshiro's hand, dragging the boy along behind him. They left the adults behind them. More tremors followed. Staying upright was near impossible. Dark clouds filled the skies overhead. Katashi heard Toshiro's terrified little whimpers beside him._

"_Where are Mommy and Daddy?" the small child asked._

"_They will come quickly," Katashi assured._

_The field opened in front of them. There was nothing around that could crush them. That did not stop the shaking from bringing them to the ground. Toshiro gripped Katashi tightly as they waited on their knees. Their parents were not here yet._

_Screaming pierced the air. The darkness grew heavier. It pressed all around them. Toshiro's sobs became louder. They were helpless._

_This continued for nearly an hour. Neither of them moved. Finally, in the distance, a white-haired figure appeared. The two immediately ran to Mr. Ukitake. The man laid a heavy hand on each of their shoulders. "Children," he said, "your mother has requested that I bring you to my home for a short while."_

"_Why?" Katashi asked._

_Ukitake's brown eyes filled with remorse. "This will be a hard thing to hear. I am not sure if you are ready for it yet."_

"_We will find out soon enough," Katashi ordered._

"_Very well," Ukitake responded mournfully. "Katashi, Toshiro, you father has just passed away. The tree fell and crushed him. I am sorry."_

_Tears began to well up in Toshiro's eyes again. He began to sob against Ukitake. Katashi simply looked dumb-stuck, as if he couldn't comprehend this. Ukitake bent down and wrapped his arms around both of them. They, at least, were safe._

…

_Seasons changed and time passed. The boys grew older._

"_Toshiro, where are you going?" Katashi asked._

"_Outside," the young boy answered simply._

_Katashi shook his head. "You have such a bizarre passion for the snow."_

"_Will you come out with me?"_

_Katashi paused, but his hesitation ended as soon as those big, hopeful blue-green eyes were set on him. "Yes," he agreed._

_Toshiro cheered and bolted out the door. Katashi followed slowly afterward. He sat in the yard to watch the small child frolic. A strange sensation picked up. Its presence was followed by Toshiro's shouts of "Uncle Ukitake!"_

_The white-haired man smiled gently. "Enjoying the snow, are you, Toshiro?"_

_The little boy nodded gleefully. Ukitake moved to stand beside Katashi. The elder brother's eyes did not let the younger out of his sight for one instance. There was no telling how much trouble that one could get into._

"_I heard that you will be turning fourteen soon," Ukitake conversed._

"_My age is not of importance," Katashi answered._

"_I will admit, you are particularly mature for your years," Ukitake said._

_The black-haired teen's disturbingly piercing eyes glanced toward him for barely a second. He answered, "I am the oldest male in the house now. Someone must take responsibility."_

"_How is Toshiro?" Ukitake questioned._

"_Ask him yourself," Katashi answered. "He seems to be listening to every word we have spoken."_

_Indeed, the little boy had stopped playing in favor of following the conversation. His small hands now hung limply over the snow. Suddenly, he stood and began to run._

"_Toshiro!" Katashi called, chasing after the child._

_Toshiro ran among the frosted trees, weaving through a complicated path that would be difficult to track. Strange noises trailed behind him. His feet moved faster. Finally, his young body gave out and he collapsed at the base of a tree. His head fell into his arms as he curled up. Tears soon began to fall uncontrollably._

_He'd tried to push the memories away, to be strong like Katashi, but he couldn't. His father's last moments played like a broken record. At least out here, Katashi would not see him crying. His older brother wouldn't know how weak he was. After all, it was his brother who'd been crushed beneath the burdens of responsibility and maturity, him whose personality had shifted into being so solemn because of it. Yet, Toshiro was the one sobbing his eyes out. He could never be as brave as Katashi._

_Two minutes of this passed before a dark feeling started to well up in his chest. Toshiro looked up fearfully only to see shadows playing amongst the trees. He backed up further against the tree as he began to hear them. They were getting closer._

"_Toshiro!" Katashi's voice screamed. Suddenly, the teen broke through the clearing and the shadows fled. Toshiro ran into the older brother's arms and hugged him tightly around the waist. Carefully, Katashi scooped the younger one's feet off the ground and proceeded to carry him home. Wetness bled through the fabric on his shoulder. Katashi let Toshiro cry; let him be the child Katashi could no longer be. If there was anything Katashi would fight for, it was his brother's right to that._

…

Toshiro woke up in sweat, but he wasn't sure if it was from the nightmares or the heat. The darkness of night still permeated everything. He sat up in the guest room bed, thinking of going to get some water, when a knock on the door sounded. He was confused, of course, because of the time, but then realized that it was probably Urahara coming back and maybe he'd just bumped into the wood. The knocking came again. Did he lock himself out?

Rising to investigate, Toshiro crept down the hall. He heard the door being opened. Voices filtered over. He listened carefully.

"It's the middle of the night, Kurosaki," Ulquiorra stated. "What do you want?"

"I-"

"Keep your voice down. Toshiro is still asleep," Ulquiorra ordered.

Toshiro finally made it to the end of the hall and decided to hide around the corner. He could sense Kurosaki's irritation. Something was going on.

"Ditch the gigai and get out here quick," Ichigo hissed. "Your _friends_ have returned."

"Friends?" Ulquiorra asked. The air suddenly became full of tension.

"If you put the gigai in your room, Toshiro will still think you're asleep in case he wakes up," Ichigo suggested. "Make sure he doesn't come along."

Toshiro had to quickly dive into the closest room available in order to avoid Ulquiorra seeing him. He stayed impeccably still, reigning in his reiatsu completely. He went unnoticed. Ulquiorra hurried back to the door.

"Come on," Ichigo said. "The Gargantua is right across town."

…

For the sole reason that he shouldn't come along, Toshiro came along.

The word "Gargantua" was warning enough. He knew this must have something to do with Hollows, but not quite sure what Kurosaki meant by "friends." It could have possibly been a derogatory term used in order to refer to the Hollow race as a whole, which would not have been a bad guess considering both the increase in Hollow activity and Ichigo's blatant distrust of Ulquiorra.

So, a mass Hollow invasion. Toshiro turned that over in his mind. It would have to be very bad for Kurosaki to request Ulquiorra's help instead of simply charging in as he always did. However, why would Kurosaki not want Toshiro there? Why go to Ulquiorra first? If this theory was true, then the only reasons could have been that either the two did not want him to get hurt (what an insane notion) or there was something there that Kurosaki knew Katashi would not want him to witness.

What was the big secret?

Toshiro began to grow aggravated. For all he knew, this tied in with Ukitake's presence as well. From his point of view, it was as if everyone was treading on glass around him. He wasn't a kid. He'd been a Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads for a while and had seen and experienced much in his time. Whatever they thought he couldn't handle, he was going to find out.

Meanwhile, Ulquiorra's mind was narrowing its focus. Familiar reiasu were spiking up in the distance. He could identify all of them. The Gargantua was in plain sight. Kurosaki was silent beside him.

"Who else have you alerted about this?" Ulquiorra questioned.

"Only Rukia," Ichigo responded. "I told her to make sure no one else gets close to this place."

"You do not want your friends to be hurt," Ulquiorra noted.

"For the same reason I know you wouldn't want Toshiro coming," Ichigo replied.

Ulquiorra fell silent after that.

The duo raced the rest of the way to the portal. Four figures stood in front of it, clearly defined. They were waiting.

"What are you doing here?" Ichigo demanded.

The only answer was for Grimmjow to charge at Ulquiorra while Kaeliel, Ira, and Ari watched stoically. Ulquiorra threw up his blade in front of him, blocking Grimmjow's strike. The full force of the blue-haired former Espada pushed against him. Ulquiorra broke away and managed to free a hand. He brought it to his face as if he'd been injured, but the hard downward motion of it caused alert.

As he moved, half of a bone helmet formed.

Ulquiorra had restored his Arrancar abilities.


	3. Ignorant and Distrustful

**3**

**Ignorant and Distrustful**

…

"_What are you doing here?" Ichigo demanded._

_The only answer was for Grimmjow to charge at Ulquiorra while Kaeliel, Ira, and Ari watched stoically. Ulquiorra threw up his blade in front of him, blocking Grimmjow's strike. The full force of the blue-haired former Espada pushed against him. Ulquiorra broke away and managed to free a hand. He brought it to his face as if he'd been injured, but the hard downward motion of it caused alert._

_As he moved, half of a bone helmet formed._

_Ulquiorra had restored his Arrancar abilities._

From the distance, Toshiro gasped in shock. How was that possible? Katashi's Arrancar abilities should have been gone. They'd fallen to pieces right after the fight with Aizen and Soul Society had not been alerted otherwise. Then there was that motion…it was the same one Ichigo used in coordination with his Viazard powers.

Speaking of which, Ichigo didn't appear surprised at all. That led Toshiro to the conclusion that Ichigo had known about this. How long? Toshiro looked back at his brother. He fought as fluently as he spoke. There was no sign of struggle with his inner Hollow. This, Toshiro decided, must have been what Katashi was keeping from him and why he and Ichigo had agreed not to have him come along. Toshiro wondered what they were afraid of, but then a plausible answer came to him. Katashi and his past were so clouded with Hollows ruining everything-was it possible that Katashi was afraid about how he would react or if he'd go tell Soul Society?

Toshiro felt so confused. No, that was an understatement. He needed answers here-real answers. Answers which Katashi seemed to feel suitable to hide from him. There must have been something he was missing: a puzzle piece in the big picture. Maybe, he thought, there was something that he was forgetting.

Or something he never remembered in the first place.

As Toshiro thought over his missing memories, Ulquiorra fought on, still unaware of his younger brother's presence. He dodged a swipe from Grimmjow's permanently transformed arm. The claws missed him by barely an inch. Suddenly, Grimmjow pulled back and nodded.

"I was making sure," he said calmly, "that you hadn't lost your touch, _Ulquiorra_."

"What do you want?" Ulquiorra questioned, his voice level. Ichigo nearly shivered. Looks like it was the battle of the emotionless ones.

"Are you the ones causing all those Hollows to come?" Ichigo demanded.

Kaeliel scoffed. "As if anyone could control those crazy, low-life ba-s."

"What he is alluding to…" Ira began.

"…is that Hueco Mundo has been in complete chaos since Aizen died," Ari finished. The dark-silver-haired twins cast identical looks toward Ulquiorra.

Ichigo cursed. Rukia was right after all. In that case, there was no one he could beat up to solve this mess.

"We," Ira continued, "have been wandering solitarily-"

"Well, mostly," Ari cut in.

"Yes, mostly solitarily until now," Ira agreed. "It's quite obvious that there is no hope for order, seeing as all of us have either tried for it or hidden from the pandemonium."

"Basically, creepy twin one and creepy twin two are saying that Hueco Mundo's a mess with no one to control it and now a bazillion of the stronger Hollows are trying to create their own empires," Kaeliel translated. "All we've been able to do is put down those Aizen wannabes."

The two child-like Arrancar glared at Kaeliel. In sync, they protested, "Creepy?"

"Oh, shut it!" Kaeliel argued. "You two are practically mini versions of that Gin Ichimaru. Get a different haircut and learn to squint your eyes and there'll be no freaking difference."

"We object!" they snapped, violet eyes filled with fire.

"Yeah, yeah, save it for the court," Kaeliel drawled.

In the midst of this, Grimmjow remained unfazed. Ulquiorra couldn't help but think that he should have been acting more like Kaeliel. It was as if in Ulquiorra's absence, Grimmjow had moved to take his place, Kaeliel had moved to take Grimmjow's, and the twins…well, he wasn't quite sure where the twins fit into this equation, but Kaeliel did have a point: they bared a slight resemblance to the former Shinigami captain of Third Division.

"This still does not specifically address the reason for your entrance into the World of the Living," Ulquiorra pointed out.

Grimmjow finally spoke up, sounding like a robot. "As much as I would not like to admit it, we have come to the conclusion that in order to reach our goals, we must conspire with you Shinigami…and Ulquiorra, whatever you have become."

"And why the h- would we help you?" Ichigo growled.

"You obviously haven't been paying attention," Grimmjow and Ulquiorra said at the same time. The strangeness of this did not go unnoticed.

"The deal will work to both of our benefits," Grimmjow continued. "We get our peace and you get to decrease the number and size of Hollow invasions."

"Is that all?" Ulquiorra questioned.

"Yes."

"How do we know this isn't a trick?" Ichigo asked. "With Hueco Mundo subdued, it would make it that much easier for you to continue what Aizen started and take over yourselves."

"He thinks we will double-cross him," Ira noticed.

"Did you forget who helped you escape?" Ari responded. "Without our help, your mangled bodies would have been left there to die and rot."

"If we did not create opposition to you killing Aizen then, when it would have been simple to kill you and take up him regime, what makes you think we will do so now?" Grimmjow challenged.

"So we're supposed to believe that you sincerely want to make this deal with the Shinigami?" Ichigo asked.

"I told you, this if for our benefit as much as yours," Grimmjow responded. "Do we have a deal?"

…

Toshiro thought that it was getting rather crowded in this stuffy little room. He sulked in a corner, Katashi close by his side like a guard, as four Arrancar in complete gigai mulled around. He could sense his brother's tenseness beside him, even if it was well hidden. Sighing, Toshiro reluctantly let his mind replay the event.

"_Do we have a deal?"_

_Ichigo and Ulquiorra simply floated there for a second, still armed and ready, but not sure what to say._

"_We'll have to think about it," Ulquiorra finally answered. "Not to mention, we will also have to speak to Urahara."_

"_He gave you a second chance, didn't he?" Ari asked._

"_It would only be fair," Ira said, "to do the same for us."_

"_They do have a point," said man's voice suddenly acknowledged._

"_Urahara!" Ichigo exclaimed._

"_How do ya do?" he greeted in his usual lax manner. "I overheard the whole conversation. I must agree: it would only be fair to offer them a second chance as well, wouldn't it, Ulquiorra Schiffer?"_

"_I suppose so," Ulquiorra agreed._

"_Besides,"-the ex-Shinigami smirked and tipped his hat over his eyes-"I figured this was coming."_

_Toshiro, who was still watching, couldn't believe this. It was one thing to bend the rules for a single ex-Arrancar, but to willingly do this without Soul Society's permission for the sake of four, fully-powered ones? Urahara should have at least consulted Ukitake on this first, especially since, apparently, he expected it. Then again, since when did that man ever play by the rules?_

_The young captain followed the conversation intently and was beginning to pick up on notes of finality when he felt himself being restrained from behind. His heartbeat jolted. Was this a trap?_

_Up in the action, there were a variety of emotions going around. Ira and Ari smiled triumphantly, Kaeliel looked aggravated, and Grimmjow remained impassive. Ichigo, as far as anyone could tell, was still confused and unsure. However, slight notes of worry had picked up on Ulquiorra's otherwise stony features. He was closely observing the group of Arrancar, especially Kaeliel. After all, had it not been the purple-haired maniac that had attacked Toshiro only a month ago? In fact, Ulquiorra didn't want any of them getting near his younger brother. He was already making mental plans to hide the younger from them. Maybe, he thought, Ukitake…_

"_Hey, Kisuke!" Yoruichi's voice broke in. Everyone's heads turned toward the woman. She wore a mischievous smile with pride. She waved one hand, the other behind a building. Then, she reported, "I think we have a rat."_

_She pulled her hand out from hiding to reveal Toshiro on the other end of it, being held tightly by his uniform. The small boy caught sight of his older brother's gaze. Katashi's eyes were silently fierce. It was at that moment Toshiro knew without a doubt that he was in deep trouble._

"_Well," Kaeliel said, "if it isn't Little Captain."_

_Yeah, he was doomed._

Since then, Katashi had not let Toshiro out of his sight, nor had he allowed any of the Arrancar to get anywhere near the boy. Toshiro could already hear the lecture coming. So for now, he resigned himself to mentally protesting about the occurring events.

Ichigo leaned against a wall, Rukia right next to him. After the carrot-top had located his vertically challenged little side-kick, both had insisted on staying for another hour or so. To observe on behalf of Soul Society, Rukia assured (as if Toshiro himself, captain of Tenth Division, wasn't there). Also, it was vacation, so there was no need for them to get up early.

"Now," Urahara said, ready to go over his plans, "as I have told you, this is merely a precaution. We did the same with Ulquiorra over there. You can't escape from the gigai without me deactivating the devices inside and it does restrict your abilities. However, since most of you"-here, he glanced at Kaeliel-"have so willingly agreed to this, I can see that your intentions were true. Things will only stay like this until we can get Soul Society's help and devise a plan between all of us. Also take note that while in these gigai, no Shinigami can track you by your reiatsu. In the worst case scenario, you will still be able to escape out into the World of the Living without much risk of them finding you. You all understand?"

One by one, the Arrancar nodded their agreement to these terms.

"Okay!" Urahara clapped his hands. "Then Grimmjow and Kaeliel will be in the first room to the right. Ira and Ari, you're in the second."

Toshiro's curiosity perked when he realized that this would mean giving away the room he had been sleeping in as well as Katashi's. He cast a quick side glance toward the other, but it was not returned. No sooner had this transaction had transpired did the doorbell ring. Urahara ushered the Arrancar away and ran off to get it. He greeted the person on the other side warmly. The newcomer was immediately recognizable.

"Captain Ukitake?" Toshiro asked.

Katashi moved noiselessly, pulling Toshiro to his feet by the wrist and guiding him over to the door. "Mr. Ukitake," he explained, "has offered to let us stay in his apartment during the course of these events. I am also making sure that you spend most of your time with him rather than around here."

Which basically meant that Katashi didn't trust him to be able to take care of himself, Toshiro concluded bitterly.

"Thank you for this, Mr. Ukitake," Katashi said. He nudged Toshiro gently.

"Thank you," the young boy parroted.

"It's no problem, boys," the white-haired man replied. He seemed all too happy about this.

The three of them shuffled outside, where the sun was just beginning to rise. The streets were empty as the odd trio walked through them. Katashi remained silent and stern. Finally, about half-way through, Toshiro couldn't take it anymore.

"If you're going to reprimand me," he said, "get it over with already."

"I believe you already know how idiotic and dangerous what you did was," Katashi answered.

"No more so than what you were doing," Toshiro fired back.

"You specifically heard Kurosaki and I speaking about keeping you out of this," the older stated, "and yet you still came."

"Do you blame me?" the younger asked. "You would have done the same thing."

"Toshiro, there is a lot you don't understand and I thought you knew better."

At this point, Toshiro was shaking in frustration. "You, too….I knew it. All you see when you look at me is that little kid you used to have to look out for; to be responsible for. I'm not that child anymore. I've changed since then. Maybe, though, you don't want to let that go."

"Hey, hey, boys," Ukitake cut in. "Let's bring this down a notch, shall we?"

"No, he's right," Katashi admitted. "I do still see that small child that needed my help and I do still want you to be able to be that child sometimes. Relatively, Toshiro, how old are you?"

"I'm not going to answer that question because it holds no point in this matter," Toshiro resisted.

"I personally think it does. Do you know why I think this? It's due to your recent display of complete disregard." A tamed anger raged within the green-blue depths of Katashi's eyes. "You chose to act _childishly_, not like the sensible captain you have proven to everyone else that you are. You did so at the wrong time. You put yourself in danger. I do not think you can even fathom…"

"I put myself in danger every day!" Toshiro argued. "That's _my job._ It's part of being a Shinigami and protecting people. I thought you of all people should know that protecting others often comes with risk to yourself and…that's it, isn't it? You just don't want me to follow in your footsteps."

"I told you, there are some things that you are not ready to-"

"You're the one who's not ready!" Toshiro cried. "You're not ready to accept the fact that I've grown up. That's why you keep hiding things from me. For instance, why did you fail to mention that you got your Arrancar powers back? How long were you going to keep that a secret?"

"Truthfully, for as long as I could," Katashi replied. "Seeing your reaction, I now believe more than ever that my assumptions were correct: you were not well enough prepared for all of this. Toshiro, one day, you will learn that there are some things you are better off not knowing. When that day comes, I will mourn, because it will hurt you and that will be the day that you truly lose all traces of your childhood. At this moment, though, I know you are not ready to face that realization just yet and I would personally appreciate it if until then you would trust in my judgment."

"Things I'm better off not knowing…?"

Katashi shook his head. "I have to attend work today and there was an errand I planned on running beforehand. Mr. Ukitake, may I have your permission to meet you at the destination at a later time?"

"Of course," Ukitake agreed.

Katashi pushed his hands deeper into his pockets and strolled off. "Make sure," he called over his shoulder, "that Toshiro gets some rest. I think his mind is overworked."


	4. Playing Pretend

**4**

**Playing Pretend**

…

"You're going to be a boring roommate," Kaeliel muttered.

Grimmjow stood silently, choosing not to reply to that.

"Grimmy's always been like that, though," Ari said.

"At least for as long as we've known him," Ira added.

"Whatever," Kaeliel breathed, pulling on the collar of his black vest. Why did these gigai have to be so annoying? Not only were they limiting, but he hadn't become used to these human clothes yet. First the black vest, then these odd pants. They were made of a stiff dark blue fabric and only went to just above his knees. Urahara called them "denim shorts." The only things about this ensemble that he liked were the "sneakers," which provided much more flexible movement and foot protection than the sandals at Las Noches had. It was too hot out to wear anything more similar to his old Arrancar uniform. It was almost too humid for him to even bear his messily styled purple ponytail, but he wasn't about to lose another chunk of his personality to human conditions.

Kaeliel's mud-colored eyes drifted over to the rest of the group. He wondered if any of them found this situation and these customs as obnoxious as he did. If they did, they sure weren't making a fuss about it. In fact, if anything, Grimmjow looked somewhat comfortable. The simple white T-shirt and baggy jeans suited him, surprisingly, despite the shockingly spiky blue hair and eyes. Every once in a while, he would flex his left hand or rub his bare jaw. The sensation of uncovered skin was new. Kaeliel, of course, knew that Grimmjow's arm had not always been permanently transformed and wondered how it felt to have it back to normal again. Kaeliel himself had the habit of touching the spot where his own mask would have been if not for the gigai.

Creepy twins one and two were busy giggling in a corner, sharing some inside joke. They were harder to tell apart now. All of their defining Arrancar features were gone, leaving only copy-cat versions of the same silver-haired, violet-eyed face. Why the h- did that Urahara guy decide it would be "cute" to dress them identically, anyway? The striped purple and white polos only served to make him nauseous. At the very least, they'd each decided to put a wristband on opposite arms. Ira's white one was on his right, Ari's black one was on his left. The day they decided to switch, Kaeliel would be lost.

A yawn escaped the mouth of one twin-Kaeliel wasn't sure which one it was at the moment-and was soon followed by another from the opposite. Nodding to each other, they stood up.

"We're going to go rest," they announced, heading off.

"Tch," Kaeliel huffed. "Why did we bring those two along with us?"

"For the same reason you were brought along," Grimmjow retorted. "It's not as if you three act much older than each other."

"They're too naïve for this," Kaeliel argued.

He thought he saw irritation flash on the enigmatic Grimmjow's face for a second. "In case you forgot, both happen to be more powerful than you. I would not doubt that their child-like demeanor is somewhat of a front, either."

"But it'll work to your advantage, right?" the more manic of the two asked. "Their innocence…you think it'll make Soul Society more likely to comply with our requests."

"Ulquiorra as well," Grimmjow answered. "They will remind him of that child Shinigami."

"Little Captain? What's he got to do with this?" Kaeliel wondered.

"You'll find out soon enough," Grimmjow answered. "Just know that if we want our way, we will have to keep a close eye on those two. They're exactly the connection-the catalyst-that we need."

…

A knock came to Orihime Inoue's door early that morning, just as she was getting ready to leave for her morning shift. She opened up and a smile instantly lit her face. "Ulquiorra!"

He nodded back. "Orihime."

His all-seeing eyes caught the flicker of amusement on her face and knew she was restraining some insane fit of giggling. To this day, she was still pleased when he called her by her name. She hugged him in greeting, much to his chagrin. He tensed up.

"Um, sorry," she chuckled, pulling away faster than Ulquiorra's sonido. She rubbed the back of her head, playing with the bouncing bright orange ponytail.

"It's fine," he said in his level tone. "I am well used to you crossing all of the old boundaries. It no longer surprises me."

She frowned. "Hey, what's bothering you?" she asked, slinging her bag over her shoulder. She locked the door behind her and the two began to head out.

"There is nothing bothering me," he answered.

She pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. She stepped straight into his path to make sure that he would notice her rather childish display.

"Woman, I am not in the mood for your games," he stated. "Do you wish for me to forcefully remove you from that spot?"

She flinched at the name. Still, she defied him. "I will not move."

He raised an eyebrow. "Very well."

The next thing Orihime knew, she was pounding on his back and screaming at him to put her down. "Ulquiorra! People are going to think strangely of us!"

"I warned you," he reiterated. "You simply refused to comply with my request."

"Throwing a person over your shoulder and carrying them is no way to treat someone!"

He would have shrugged if what she'd said were not true and therefore his shoulders would have been free to do so. Instead, he replied, "If you will refuse to move, how would you rather I carry you?"

"…Put me down, Ulquiorra."

"That depends," he said. "Will you continue to walk if I do so?"

"Yes," she groaned in compliance.

He placed her back on the ground. She stumbled for a second, trying to catch her balance. Ulquiorra was already ahead of her. She jogged to catch up.

"You're acting more like you would have at Las Noches," she noticed.

"How so?"

Her gray-violet eyes drifted toward the pavement. "I don't know. More upfront, blunt...rude."

"Have I not always been as such?"

His tenor made her suddenly lock gazes with him. Most people might have missed it, but she could pick it up from a while away. It was nothing more than a slight undertone; an emotion habitually buried beneath the surface.

Self-condemnation.

She stopped again.

"At this rate, we will both be late," Ulquiorra pointed out.

She examined his face, trying to locate one of his micro-expressions. "Something happened."

"Woman, it would be better if you stayed out of these matters," Ulquiorra said. "They are none of your concern."

"Stop calling me that!" she cried. Orihime then crossed another boundary. She stomped up to Ulquiorra, looked his straight in the face, and slapped him.

The world paused around them. Neither moved. It would have been so easy to imagine white-washed walls, white uniforms, and a perfect white crescent moon ruling the black night from above. Ulquiorra blinked and the universal play button had been pressed once more. He glanced at her from the corners of his eyes.

"That was rather uncharacteristically violent of you," he observed. Just like that other time.

It was then that he saw the tears beginning to well up in her eyes, try as hard as she might to hold them back. She was pretending to be strong. Especially in front of Ulquiorra, she had to be. She was compelled to prove herself to him even after all this time. Orihime knew it was stupid, but too many painful memories were coming back. Why did he continue to use that horrible name?

"I apologize if I have upset you," Ulquiorra said. The words were stiff.

"Please," she begged quietly. "Please just stop acting like a Hollow."

_I am not sure if I can_, he thought to himself. He took in her dejected appearance, head hung toward the ground, hands shaking by her sides. A single glistening droplet fell to the ground. Hesitantly, he reached out and grabbed one of the shaking hands. "Orihime," he called. She finally looked up at him. For a second, he imagined Toshiro standing there, but pushed the image away. He said, "I am going to warn you that for the next few days, I may act strangely. You should not think anything of it. However, if it pleases you, I will try my best to act more human."

She gazed at him sadly. "But you're still only acting."

He moved the corners of his lips up in an awkward attempt at a smile. "Yes."

She shifted her grip to latch onto his hand. Then, the girl began to walk forward.

"Orihime?"

She stopped and spun around, plastering a massive smile on her face. She laughed cheerfully. "Come on, Ulquiorra. We really are going to be late now!"

She more or less dragged him along behind her for a few feet until he was able to match her pace. She didn't remove the strained happiness from her face and he continued to appear content. The competition of pretenders had begun.


	5. Eyes of Lies

**5**

**Eyes of Lies**

…

Ichigo yawned and dropped backwards onto his bed. He was exhausted. Smiling at the prospect of finally getting some rest, Ichigo's eyes began to close…

"I-chi-go!"

The substitute Shinigami barely avoided a punch to the face. "Dad!" he whined.

"Up and at 'em!" the man cheered.

"It's still early, though," Ichigo moaned. "Let me sleep."

"Sorry, we've got plans today," Isshin reported. "Big plans. Now come on down and enjoy the wonderful breakfast our darling Yuzu has made for us."

Ichigo began to wonder if life in Soul Society was this troublesome. As he climbed down the stairs, he wondered what it would be like. Not that he'd ever give up his human life to live as a full-time Shinigami holed up in Seireitei. He just wished that sometimes his father wouldn't be so overbearing.

The teen slumped into his seat, eyes half-shut. He began to pick at the plate in front of him, too tired to even take note of what it was.

"Hello, Ichigo!" Yuzu greeted.

"Hey," he yawned in reply.

"What's with you?" Karin asked.

"Just tired."

"Why?" she interrogated. "Were you running around last night?"

"Nonsense, Karin!" Isshin defended. "Ichigo was in his bed the whole night, sleeping away. He's just a growing boy and lazy teenager."

Through this rant, Karin was shooting Ichigo looks that clearly screamed, _"I know."_

Ichigo slouched further into his seat.

"Dad, where are we going today?" Yuzu wondered.

"It's a surprise!" the man insisted.

Karin rolled her eyes. "I don't care as long as we're back by sunset."

"Eh, why?"

At this point, a flustered redness raced across her cheeks. "Because I have stuff to do. Besides, Yuzu and I still need to buy our summer reading books and…and…it's early, so I doubt whatever you're going to have us doing could take that long."

The glint in Isshin's eyes did not reassure them of anything.

…

It was the middle of the day now, but Toshiro's eyes were closed tight. Ukitake had forced him to go to sleep, insisting that he would never get any taller if he did not. The man himself had also needed to rest, as he found his illness returning. Luckily for him, it was only rising up as a fever, but he knew that if he did not take care of this now that it could easily get worse. The best solution was to put the boy to bed now so that he would not have to worry about the child while he was trying to catch a nap of his own.

Ukitake had not expected the boy to be tossing and turning. He could have never guessed at the cold sweat forming all around his body. Nor could he have known what was running through the small captain's mind.

…

"_Katashi, stop acting so old," Toshiro pleaded. "You're no fun anymore."_

_The older boy-paler than he had been a year ago-shook his head. "Someone has to take care of you and mother."_

"_Mr. Ukitake helps take care of us," Toshiro pointed out._

"_Mr. Ukitake is sick," Katashi replied._

"_You don't even smile anymore."_

_At this, the elder tried a bad attempt at said expression. It looked more like a grimace. Toshiro couldn't help but giggle, shouting, "Your face looks funny!"_

"_Toshiro, that isn't very nice to say to your brother," Ukitake said, seemingly appearing out of nowhere._

"_Sorry, Uncle Ukitake," Toshiro apologized._

_The white-haired man smiled softly. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."_

_Reluctantly, the young boy muttered, "Sorry, Katashi."_

_Ukitake strolled up and placed a hand on each of their heads. "Be thankful, Toshiro, that Katashi is such a good, responsible person."_

_Instead of looking prideful about this, Katashi only glanced toward the ground._

"_And never," Ukitake concluded, "doubt that your brother loves you."_

…

"_No!"_

_The monster grinned._

"_Stop it!"_

_Crack._

"_Katashi!"_

_Falling. Falling. The ground began to turn red._

"_Help!" Sobs. "Please, don't die."_

_A broken body. Teal eyes and tear streaks. Teal eyes and tear streaks. No…_

…

"Toshiro, wake up!"

Toshiro gasped once he woke up, desperately trying to catch his breath. Wetness was running down his cheeks. That was wrong, he thought. He'd seen Katashi's death before and that was not it. That "memory" was static. Toshiro glanced around to see a thin layer of frost covering everything. He'd managed to leak it out even through the gigai.

A hand was pressed to his forehead. Toshiro's eyes widened at the sight of his older brother.

…

Ulquiorra had just been returning home after his shift. Orihime lied about needing to run an errand and him not needing to walk her home. He'd left it at that. On his travels back, he'd thought of all the possibilities concerning what to do with Toshiro. He guessed the best thing to do at the moment was to simply let the tensions settle.

A sudden spike of reiatsu caught his immediate attention. It was Toshiro's. Urgency slipped into his hastened steps. He began to run. The door to Ukitake's rented apartment swung open easily. Disturbingly easy. Surveying his surroundings (mostly looking for a sign of a struggle), he realized that everything was covered in frost.

And it was dead silent.

Ulquiorra focused and felt some sense of relief when he tracked Toshiro to still being in the house. He followed the source and soon came upon his younger brother. The boy was sleeping. He would have been glad if not for the fact that this "sleeping" looked more like Toshiro was fighting someone. Tears were running down his cheeks. Bad memories of his younger brother's nightmares as a child came back to him, but he could tell it wasn't the same. Whatever Toshiro was seeing now, it was most likely a memory.

A bad memory.

Ulquiorra began to shake the child, ordering him to wake up. At last, two blue-green eyes shot open. Toshiro's breathing was labored. He was almost as pale as Ulquiorra was in his Arrancar form. Out of habit, Katashi placed a hand on his brother's forehead.

It was like a switch went on. Toshiro finally realized who was there, his panicked eyes flying to the older. If possible, they widened even further. Unexpectedly, Toshiro pushed himself back away from Katashi.

"Toshiro…" Katashi called.

Instead of answering, the small boy stumbled to his feet and ran the other direction. Katashi tried to follow after him, but Toshiro had already dashed out the door and into the street. His reiatsu flickered out.

He didn't want to be found.

…

Karin's eye twitched. "A family martial arts class?"

Isshin grinned big. "It'll be fun! Besides, you two girls are at about the age that-"

"Don't even finish that sentence, goat face," Karin growled.

"But I don't want my little girls to be hurt by any big, bad teenage boys!" he protested.

"If that's the reason, then why am I here?" Ichigo asked.

"I wasn't going to leave you to get in trouble at home," Isshin said.

"Trouble?" The carrot-top narrowed his eyes at his father.

"Dad, I don't know about this," Yuzu squeaked. "It looks dangerous and I don't really like to fight…"

"Give it a try," he said.

…

Oh, Yuzu gave it a try. Karin was shocked at how vicious the girl could end up being: a natural born fighter. Of course, this was totally offset by her profuse apologies after hitting anyone.

Yuzu landed a perfect roundhouse kick into the side of their teacher's face. "Ah!" she cried. "I'm sorry!"

Karin meanwhile shook her head.

"Man, your sister is tough," the guy next to her commented. "Hey, what's your name?"

"Kurosaki," she huffed, glancing at him. The guy was at least half a foot taller and two years older than her. However, he was also lanky and hid his face behind thick glasses and messy brown hair.

"Don't you have a first name?" he asked.

"Yeah, but that's none of your business," she retorted.

Instead of being put off, he smiled sweetly and held out his hand. "My name is Natsume Ikeda."

She stared at his hand. Embarrassed, he pulled back and scratched the back of his head.

"Ikeda, stop flirting. It's your turn," the instructor called.

The boy's face turned bright red. "Y-Yes, sir," he answered. He strode fluently to center stage, which Karin found strange because she would have expected someone so timid to more-so shuffle. He looked nervous. Suddenly, the teacher swung his arm out. Natsume flew out of the way. Karin's attention was caught as the shy and awkward persona fell to that of calculating. His gray eyes were cool, calm, and collected. The man attacked again. Natsume appeared to have fallen to the ground, but Karin was shocked when he instead used his new position to swing at the instructor's legs. This didn't knock the older off balance, but it created an opening. Natsume slid behind the teacher and tapped his back.

"Very nice, Ikeda." The instructor smiled. "Get back in line. Next…hm…orange head."

Ichigo's irritation was immediately provoked. "Oi, I have a name.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, please stand center stage."

The teen trudged up to the spot in front of the teacher. In his head was the likes of the world's most repetitive rant. Once again, he was thinking about how stupid this was. He was already a Shinigami. It's not like he couldn't _fight._ In fact, the teacher's moves seemed so torturously slow. After mastering flash step, a person's time and speed perception were never the same again. So, when the punch came toward his head, Ichigo just lazily dodged to the side.

The teacher made a side-swipe at him. Ichigo caught his hand. This would be so much faster with Zangetsu. Feeling challenged, the man began to step it up a little. Personally, Ichigo thought that the teacher just found his bright orange hair aggravating. The two kept up an even spar. Finally, Ichigo decided to end it by punching the man lightly in the stomach.

"Good job, Kurosaki," the teacher mumbled. "Ikeda, I want you and Kurosaki to go at it over there." He indicated to a corner.

The lanky teen gulped and choked out, "A-Alright." He appeared intimidated by Ichigo's much taller and sterner form. The hard frown didn't help either. This time, Karin noticed, his stride was a little less swift.

"Karin Kurosaki."

The tomboy turned her head to see her teacher beckoning her forward. Still preoccupied with the start of the fight in the corner, she walked up to him. Both fell into battle stances. Then, it began.

Karin soon realized that her teacher was fast. She had a hard time getting out of the ways of the blows and soon became off balance. She fell flat on her butt ten seconds in. Grumbling, she stood again.

"You have to maintain your center of balance," the instructor ordered. "Try not to lean backward so much."

Another round began. Sweat began to form on her face. At least this time, she wasn't falling over. Yet, the man wasn't letting up any. She blamed Yuzu and Ichigo for this: just because both of them were so good, he expected her to be a professional as well. Finally, he got her right above the heart. Thirty seconds.

"If I'd been armed, you would be seriously injured if not dead."

Karin's gaze drifted over to her brother's fight. She caught them right as Ichigo managed to knock Natsume to the floor. Natsume was sweating much more than Ichigo was.

Ichigo…

The memory of his jumping out the window in his black Shinigami uniform came back to her. She heard his words: _"What's with that? A Shinigami….What are you talking about, Karin?"_

Karin's distraction allowed for her teacher to defeat her again. Ichigo looked at her from his spot with those copper eyes. Those lying copper eyes. Karin couldn't take it anymore. Her frustration suddenly exploded and she threw herself from the floor and sprinted straight out the door.

"Karin!" Ichigo screamed.

She vanished from sight, except Ichigo felt it this time. He felt…her reiatsu.

…

**Know now that I do nothing without reason. I am fully aware that Toshiro is coming across a little weak and Karin is very easily aggravated. The former will be more clearly explained in chapter 8 and the latter is implied throughout.**

**Also as a reminder, I uphold my previous policy pertaining to pairings as noted in "Like Brothers." I will not write couples into this story any more than Tite Kubo has. I do not intend for this to be a romance fic, but take from it what you may.**

**All constructive criticism welcomed.**

**Thank you to: ****mikage-aya****, ****Motif****, and ****guy640****, as well as all who added this story to their Favorites or Story Alert list. You are my will to continue this fic, as I had been considering its deletion earlier this week.**


	6. I Spy

**6**

**I Spy**

…

Toshiro ran as fast and far as he could. People went through their busy lives around him, moving aside when he came near them. The street was crowded, but it hid him well. Occasionally, a car horn would sound, indicating when he'd accidentally run in front of it. This place was dangerous.

The area became clearer up ahead. There were less people, less lights, less noise. He broke into it. Now, instead of people, trees flew by him. He felt so childish running away like this, but he couldn't stand to be in the same room with Katashi. He didn't want his older brother to see him being so…so weak. It was only a nightmare, Toshiro tried to tell himself. All this stress had gotten to him and produced _that_ image.

It wasn't real.

It couldn't be real.

His feet continued to pound on the pavement. His heartbeat accelerated. His senses were being distorted.

He couldn't trust his own memory anymore.

…

Karin was extremely thankful for all those years of soccer practice. They gave her endurance and the ability to look past the burning in her muscles and lungs. She rushed through the city and toward the only place where she could find sanctuary.

The sight of the field in the distance greeted her like an understanding friend. It had been there for all the good and bad times. She needed it again. All she had to do now was cross over the road, _that _road, and she would be safe and free.

As she started onto it, the railing by her side as if it were some sort of guide, she began to hear another noise. It was followed by a strange sensation. There was an abrupt burst of energy, both inside and outside her. The one inside was warm-almost hot-but the one outside was icy. She looked up. Another person was running straight past her. She stopped.

"Toshiro?"

He stopped as well. A head full of familiar white hair turned and she was met with bright teal eyes.

"Karin Kurosaki?"

She realized that the strange sensation was coming from him. In fact, it had only gotten stronger the closer they came. Goosebumps formed on her arms.

Toshiro, meanwhile, had also felt that strange sensation. The warmness was odd. Now realizing who was in front of him, though, he could tell that it was coming from her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I could ask you the same," he replied.

She glanced toward the ground. "It's nothing."

"Then the same here."

There was a tense pause.

"Ne, Toshiro?" Uncertainty welled up in Karin's chest as she prepared to speak.

"Yes?"

She gauged the captain's face closely. "What do you do…when someone is hiding something from you and…even when you know that something is wrong, they still won't tell you?"

He froze. She'd asked one of the exact questions plaguing his own mind. The only thing he could answer was, "I don't know."

Her fists clenched. "Oh."

"But let me guess," Toshiro continued. "They think you're too young and that not knowing is for your own good?"

"I'm not sure," she said. "Maybe."

He scoffed quietly.

Karin's gaze drifted toward the sky. Her onyx eyes widened. "Hey, the sun's setting."

Toshiro followed her stare. "So it is."

"Is that why you came here?" she wondered.

He lied to her. "Sure."

"Would you mind…if I watched, too?" she asked.

He watched her intently. She looked…lost. So he nodded. "If you want."

…

Fear began to set into Ulquiorra's mind, even if he refused to outwardly show it. Toshiro had just run off. What was troublesome was the look in the younger's eyes. It was…scared. He hadn't seen that in his brother ever since before they'd met again as Shinigami and ex-Arrancar. Thus, Ulquiorra's haste could be pardoned.

For a second, he thought he felt Toshiro's reiatsu, but it was too far away and too fast. It was gone before he'd even had the chance to track it. This left him once again with no idea of where his brother might be. He'd already searched half the town.

Another flash of the icy feeling rose, accompanied by one of heat. Ulquiorra skidded to a stop and immediately set out on tracking it. However, he was interrupted.

"Ah!"

Something large slammed into the pale man, knocking him off balance. He found stability in the brick wall behind him. The other figure ended up spinning to a stop. Obnoxiously orange hair alerted him to who it was.

"Kurosaki," he growled.

"Ulquiorra?"

"You made me lose my focus," Ulquiorra accused, using his I'm-so-calm-that-it's-obvious-I'm-angry-with-you voice.

"Sorry," Ichigo apologized quickly, "but I'm in a rush. I have to find my sister."

"And _I_ have to find my brother," Ulquiorra shot back.

"Wait, Toshiro ran off?"

Ulquiorra gave Ichigo a bored look. "Yes, Kurosaki."

The bursts of heat and ice came again. At the same time, the two exclaimed, "That's him/her!"

They turned to look at each other. Only one glance was needed to confirm what they were thinking. The two sped off in the same direction in search of their siblings.

…

"You know, sometimes, I wonder if ignorance is bliss," Karin sighed.

"Ignorance can get you killed," Toshiro pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess so," she answered. "Which reminds me; I never said thank you."

He looked at her in surprise. "For what?"

"That one time, for saving me from that Hollow and…for not calling me crazy when I asked where Ichigo was, then for telling me that you knew he would be okay." She smiled at him. "You were the only one who ever told me anything."

His surprise showed only for an instant. Then, he tightened up again. "Just don't go around yelling that out. I could get in trouble with Soul Society. We're not supposed to tell humans about any of this."

She rolled her eyes. "That's kind of pointless considering I can see all you guys and the Hollows."

"You fight them, too, if you consider kicking a giant soul-hungry monster with a soccer ball fighting."

She was about to rebound on him for that when she saw that he was smirking. So, instead, she laughed.

"It's not like I can do anything else," she replied. "I'm not one of your oh-so-special Shinigami."

"I don't think you'd ever want to be," Toshiro answered.

"Not if I had to lie to everyone I know," she said, shaking her head, "but I wouldn't mind actually being able to do something when one of those monsters shows up instead of waiting for Ichigo to come save me."

"Who knows?" Toshiro asked. "After all, Karakura Town is a very strange place."

She laughed. "I'm watching the sunset with a Shinigami captain over four times my age, talking about killing Hollows. No kidding, Toshiro."

"It sounds really bad when you say it like that," he noticed.

Karin shot him an amused look. "Only in Karakura."

"Only in Karakura," he repeated.

Then, they watched as the sky turned red. It was the most peaceful red either of them had ever seen.

…

"The sun's setting," Ulquiorra noticed.

"Way to point out the obvious," Ichigo snapped. "Where the h- could they be?"

"I am not sure. Their reiatsu have calmed significantly and become untraceable."

A grassy field opened up in front of them. It was being tinted red by the sun's fading light. Ulquiorra stopped.

"What?" Ichigo asked.

"There," Ulquiorra replied. He pointed.

Sure enough, one black head and one white one sat side by side on top of a railing.

"What the-?" Ichigo sputtered. Shock registered. "What's your brother doing with my sister?"

"Laughing."

Ichigo gave the black-haired man a curious look at this. Taking another glance at the pair on top of the hill, he realized Ulquiorra was right. The two were laughing.

Ulquiorra's chest felt heavy. This was the first time in a long time that he'd seen Toshiro look so…carefree. That boy had bolted straight out of Ukitake's apartment with fear and confusion raging war on him, but there were no traces of that now. At least, none that Ulquiorra could see from this distance.

Ichigo had no clue what to do. Was he supposed to go in there in all his big brother glory and pull her away? Even when she looked so happy? He hadn't seen that face in awhile. He wasn't sure if he wanted to risk tearing it apart again. Still, it was his job to look out for her, regardless of whether or not he knew Toshiro was a good person.

They were both stuck.

Finally, Ichigo said, "I say we spy."

"That is completely immature, Kurosaki," Ulquiorra commented. "Not to mention we would betray their trust."

"They ran off on us," Ichigo said. "Plus, it's not like they would know."

Ulquiorra scoffed. "I am amazed that neither has sensed your overpowering reiatsu yet."

"Karin wouldn't be able to," Ichigo defended.

"I wouldn't count on that," Ulquiorra responded. "I sensed two reiatsu from this direction."

Ichigo frowned. "So?"

"How dense are you?" Ulquiorra was blunt. "If she has reiatsu, that means she might be able to sense those of others. Currently, both their reiatsu are stable, but earlier they would rise and fall at drastic levels. The last time I sensed them, they were together. However, I know that at least Toshiro would be able to recognize your presence. If he has not yet, there must be something happening. I think it might be possible that the combinations of their reiatsu have created a neutral zone."

Ichigo blinked. "What?"

"It is only a theory, but it could be possible for their reiatsu to be blocking each other out. If your sister's energy is more heat oriented, it could temporarily be calming Toshiro's ice zanpakuto and vice versa. Their reiatsu might be limited to a very small area, especially if it is being accidentally or purposely aimed at the other. This would make it difficult for us to sense them, but also for them to sense us. In other words, their senses are clouded due to being overloaded."

"That's not normal, is it?" Ichigo asked.

"Stronger reiatsu can hide the weaker," Ulquiorra said, "such as how your reiatsu is so thick that it can blind the spiritual senses of those around you. If that power was focused and contained, it could create a result like this, possibly even without opposing elements. Thus, it could be normal, simply unused. However, I told you, it's only a theory and I am not the best to ask on the norm of Shinigami."

Ichigo grunted. "Well, all theories need to be tested. Let's go."

…

Matsumoto was as happy as could be strolling out of the Senkaimon. She bathed in the scents and sounds and sights of the living world. She'd only been sent because Captain Ukitake had been found ill and someone needed to be there to supervise during the sickness, both now and for every time it happened afterward. Also, she had big news to deliver to her captain.

And all of this got her out of paperwork.

Closing her eyes, she tried to locate her captain's reiatsu. She couldn't feel a thing. Pouting, she instead tried searching for others. Ukitake was at home resting, Nel and her Fracción were on the other side of town, and Ichigo was by the fields.

The fields.

Matsumoto suddenly got an idea. Smiling, she dashed off toward the Substitute Shinigami. At least if her captain (who was possibly with Karin Kurosaki) wasn't there, she could bother Ichigo and ask if he'd seen the white-haired boy. Plus, if she got lucky, Captain would save her all the trouble by finding her via reiatsu.

It took her all of two minutes to get there considering she was still in Shinigami form and had the advantage of shunpo. She searched the darkening field thoroughly. A sly grin lit her face as she discovered two pleasant surprises. One, Toshiro _and_ Karin were up on the railing, smiling and laughing and watching the sunset. Two, she caught Ichigo and Ulquiorra red-handed in spying on their younger siblings. Oh, this would be fun.

Deciding to be sneaky, Matsumoto hid her reiatsu and snuck up behind the two teenage boys. Then, when she was sure neither had noticed, she asked, "Wow, I never expected you two to sink to spying. Shame on you."

Ichigo jumped and whipped around. Ulquiorra's reaction was much more controlled.

"Matsumoto!" Ichigo whispered. "What are you doing here?"

"I was sent to help Captain Ukitake," she answered. "Imagine my surprise when I stumble on to this little act of treachery." She winked at the two. "Don't worry, I won't tell."

"Shhh!" Ichigo hissed, pulling her further into the grove of trees. "Be quiet or else they'll hear us."

She rolled her eyes. "They look pretty preoccupied up there."

This only deepened the carrot-top's frown. "How do they know each other, anyway?"

"Karin didn't tell you?" Mastumoto inquired. "Captain saved her from a Hollow one day."

"No, she didn't tell me that," Ichigo mumbled.

"Well, they look like they're having a good time," Matsumoto observed.

"Which means we should leave," Ulquiorra insisted.

"If you leave now, they'll see you," Ichigo replied.

"And if you two keep talking, they'll hear you," Matsumoto cut in. "Now shush so I can hear what they're saying."

"_Hey, Toshiro, did you ever want to finish that soccer game?" Karin asked. "You know, without you having to run off to go slay a Hollow or whatever."_

"_The chances of that are low," Toshiro remarked._

"_A low chance of wanting to play soccer or a low chance in not having to go slay Hollows?" she questioned._

"_The latter," he answered._

"_How many Hollows are there usually?"_

_He shrugged. "It depends."_

"_Then why do they always seem to have to show up during soccer?" she groaned._

"_Do you want me to answer that truthfully?"_

"_Of course."_

"_Then it's probably because when you play soccer, your reiatsu raises, so they're attracted to it," he said. "Reiatsu and aggression often go hand-in-hand."_

"_Ah, all this Shinigami stuff is so confusing," she admitted. "I wish Ichigo would actually decide to explain it to me instead of avoiding the topic."_

At this, said teen's face began to redden.

"_Hey, look!" Karin exclaimed. "The first star!"_

"_So?" Toshiro asked._

"_You're supposed to make a wish."_

"_Why?" Toshiro wondered. "That seems pointless."_

"_Yeah, I know," Karin agreed, "but it's fun. C'mon, Toshiro, haven't you ever done anything just for fun?"_

_He shrugged._

"Hey, how come he doesn't make _her_ call him Captain Hitsugaya?" Ichigo complained.

"We are not in Soul Society," Ulquiorra pointed out. "Such a title would be rather misplaced."

"But he doesn't even make her call him by his last name!"

"Shhh!" Matsumoto reprimanded.

"_It's getting dark out now," Karin noticed. "I should probably get back to my family. I kind of ran off on them earlier."_

"_I should also return," Toshiro realized._

"_It was nice hanging out with you, Toshiro!" Karin called. "We should do it again sometime if you're ever in Karakura."_

"_Who knows?" he asked._

_Karin walked away. However, she didn't get more than ten feet when it felt like something shattered. Instantly, the two had their eyes glued to the trees that Ichigo, Ulquiorra, and Matsumoto were standing behind._

"The neutral barrier has been broken," Ulquiorra stated.

"Matsumoto!" Toshiro yelled in anger.

"Ichigo!" Karin reprimanded similarly.

"Crap, we've been found out," Ichigo cursed.

"Eh, Captain, hello…" Matsumoto greeted, stepping out guiltily with her hands in front of her. "What a surprise seeing you here."

"Katashi?" the boy scolded, eyes discovering the pale man. "What was that about following people being childish?"

"…Kurosaki made me."

That was when Karin stomped up. Before Ichigo could so much as speak, she landed a punch to his face. He cried out as he rubbed his jaw. It burned and even his amateur senses could feel the reiatsu laced into the mark.

"What is your problem?" Karin exclaimed. She was shaking and hot energy was pouring out of her like crazy. Even Toshiro was looking at her in amazement.

"Karin, I-"

"I don't want to hear your excuses anymore, Ichigo!" she yelled. "I don't care. You're always sneaking around behind my back, so just leave me alone. It's not like you already don't. Next time you decide to get out of my life, stay that way. I'm going home."

"Stop, Karin!" Ichigo called after her. "It's complicated."

"What's so complicated that you have to keep lying to me and Yuzu? Do you even know how many times you've made her cry?"

A stab of guilty pain hit Ichigo's heart. His face reflected this. "Karin, you're still young. There are some things you're better off not knowing."

Karin froze at his words. She began to shake.

"_But let me guess," _Toshiro had said. _"They think you're too young and that not knowing is for your own good?"_

The words echoed hauntingly. She couldn't take it anymore. She turned tail and ran. Ichigo vainly reached a hand after her, defeated.

Toshiro shook his head and walked off in the same direction. "I hope you three are happy with yourselves," he said, "because considering think of us as children, you've been setting a horrible example."

"Captain…" Matsumoto muttered.

He ignored her and continued on. No one moved to follow either of the two.

"We've screwed up," Ichigo concluded.

"For once, your summary of the situation is extremely accurate," Ulquiorra agreed.

"Aren't you guys going to do anything?" Mastumoto asked.

Ichigo touched his throbbing jaw. "I'll go ask Chad if I can spend the night at his house while Karin cools off."

"That's all?" she pursued.

"What else do you want me to do?" he rebounded. "I already made her hate me."

Matsumoto turned to Ulquiorra. "And what about you?"

"I will go check back with Urahara," he answered. "It would be suicidal to instigate Toshiro now."

"Well, I'm going to go after him," she announced, "before he ends up sleeping on another roof."

"Another?" Ulquiorra whispered to himself.

"And," Matsumoto continued, "I'm going to ask Rukia to talk to Karin."

"But Rukia's a Shinigami, too," Ichigo asserted.

Matsumoto gave him a steely glare. "It's more than you're doing."

She used flash step to disappear, hoping that in the meantime, those two would think of some way to fix this. Because obviously, the argument was about more than the spying.

…

**Again: NO PAIRINGS INTENDED.**

**Friendship is the limit.**

**I think now would be a good time to remind everyone that this story deviates from canon since after Ulquiorra's death. I guess that should be kind of obvious, since I wrote Ulquiorra killing Aizen. However, assume that everything after Ulquiorra's (anime/manga) death has not happened.**

**By the way, I also had to fix a few of my timeline screw-ups in Like Brothers. And people say I'm **_**good**_** at math. If you notice any more, tell me so that I can fix them.**

**Thank you to: windlily and 69EmoGaaraFan69.**


	7. Rethinking Reason

**7**

**Rethinking Reason**

…

Karin's head rested atop her knees. There was a knock on the door.

"Karin, can I come in?" Rukia asked.

"If I say no, will you use kido to break the door down?" the girl growled.

Rukia paused. "Look, I know Ichigo can be an idiot…"

The door swung open. Karin's eyes were fierce and she looked disheveled. "He refuses to tell me anything and then spies on me! He's not just an idiot; he's a hypocrite!"

Karin stalked back to her bed and resumed her previous position. Rukia slowly made her way in and sat next to Karin. It was time to play big sister. She placed a hand on the younger girl's back.

"He wants to protect you, you know," Rukia said.

"I wasn't in danger," Karin snapped. "I was just hanging out with Toshiro. A Hollow could have come and I still would have been safe."

Rukia opened and closed her mouth. She couldn't help but chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Karin growled.

"You," Rukia replied, "talking about Hollows and kido and using all of these Shinigami terms. You shouldn't know them. That probably worries Ichigo as well. Did Captain Hitsugaya tell you all of this?"

"No," she lied, remembering how Toshiro mentioned he could get in trouble for telling her such things.

"Do you…like talking to Captain Hitsugaya?" Rukia wondered.

"He's cold and distant, but…I guess so. Why? Weren't we supposed to be talking about how stupid Ichigo is?"

Rukia smiled softly. "Do you want me to tell you what I think?" She took Karin's silence as an affirmative. "I think that Ichigo-being the overprotective older brother that he is-doesn't want you to get involved with Soul Society. It's a rough life, Karin, and he'd rather you not have to live it. It probably hurts him to hear you use terms like 'Shinigami' and 'Hollow' and 'kido,' or to know that you've run into Hollows and he wasn't there to keep you safe. So, when he saw you talking to Captain Hitsugaya, it must have driven him crazy to know that one more step between you and Soul Society had been made."

"Yeah, that or he was being nosy," Karin mumbled.

Rukia smiled. "Well, there's that."

Karin scoffed.

"How about this?" the older girl offered. "Next time I see Ichigo, I'll beat him until he agrees to tell you everything."

"Alright," Karin consented.

Rukia patted her back and stood. "Give him a chance to explain himself. You'll see."

…

"Thank you, Rangiku," Ukitake said, ushering the young white-haired boy inside.

Matsumoto nodded and then vanished.

Ukitake sighed. Toshiro was sulking. He put a hand on the little one's shoulder.

"What happened?" he asked.

"It's none of your concern," Toshiro denied, pulling away.

"It is at the moment, considering my present mission," Ukitake rebutted.

"Then please answer this one question: what are you two hiding from me?" Toshiro asked. At Ukitake's stunned look, he continued, "It's not like I haven't noticed and Katashi is obviously trying to keep things secret. Captain Ukitake, I know you know, so tell me."

Ukitake's hand moved from the boy's shoulder to the top of his head. "Toshiro," he said, "don't you believe that if Katashi has hidden something from you, it is for your own good?"

"You want me to simply let this go," the young captain acknowledged.

Ukitake smiled gently. "One day, you will find out. I have no doubt about that because I am quite familiar with your curiosity. However, I believe Katashi and I would like to postpone that day as long as we can."

"You don't think I can handle it," Toshiro noted.

"Personally," Ukitake replied, "I don't think Katashi would be able to take it either. Neither of you are ready."

"There are those words again," Toshiro said. "'You are not ready.'"

"Toshiro…"

The boy waved him off, sidestepping the man. "Goodnight, Captain Ukitake."

The door closed behind his small frame. Ukitake looked at it wistfully. He whispered, "I miss the days when you used to call me Uncle Ukitake."

One the other side, Toshiro flopped down onto the futon. He let his eyes close. "When?" he thought to himself. "When will I be ready?"

…

Grimmjow stared intently at the ex-Espada by the name of Ulquiorra. He acted exactly as Grimmjow had always know him to act: cold, strict, lifeless. That was the only way that the blue-haired man could tell that something was wrong. Ulquiorra had been slowly changing, even if only slightly. There had been some indefinable spark buried deep inside those emerald eyes. Now, that spark had been smothered beneath the habits of the old Ulquiorra. Then again, Grimmjow had always suspected that the emotionless drone act had always been a defense mechanism in the first place: one that had temporarily begun to drop only to reappear now.

"What's eatin' at ya?" Kaeliel asked.

So, even that purple-haired moron had noticed.

Ulquiorra merely turned to the man, not speaking a word, before turning back again. It was as if to say: you are not important enough for me to talk to, trash, so back slowly away before I decapitate you with Murciélago. Of course, that was only a rough translation.

Then again, it was also the defense mechanism talking.

"Don't give me that crap," Kaeliel said.

Grimmjow felt the bizarre urge to smirk sadistically, but restrained. To cover this, he advised, "Kaeliel, I would step away before he loses his patience."

The crazy brown-eyed man snorted. "As if."

Trying to avoid further confrontation, Ulquiorra moved away from the two Arrancar and into the main foyer. Urahara sat there, fanning himself as usual while hiding beneath the shade of his hat. His clogs were perched atop the shop counter.

"A little too stuffy in there?"

The man's light-hearted tone only served to further shorten Ulquiorra's tolerance levels. Yet, the stony demeanor remained. Urahara was really beginning to wonder about this guy. The man's musings were cut off by the jingle of the door.

"Now who would be visiting this late?" Urahara asked himself.

He was answered seconds later by the appearance of a short girl with spiky black hair accompanied by a taller and much _curvier_ woman.

"Ulquiorra," she greeted cheerily.

"What are you doing here…Orihime?" he asked, cutting himself off before he called her "Woman" again. He'd promised to act human for her. It seemed to work because her smile grew.

"Well, you see, my friend Tatsuki and I were going to have a sleepover and we needed to pick up a few things and since the shop is right here and I thought that maybe we could stop by and say 'hi' and…"

"Hello, Ulquiorra," Tatsuki half-groaned from beside her friend. They'd already been introduced and, yes, Tatsuki did realize that this was the same man who'd been in the park that day and hadn't stopped his partner from nearly killed all of her friends. However, she'd promised Orihime to give him a second chance.

"Hello, Arisawa," Ulquiorra replied.

If it was possible, Orihime's mood improved even more. "Ah, and before I forget, Ulquiorra, I—"

She was cut off by a loud crash.

Then what appeared to be a human being was thrown through the doorway. Kaeliel looked up in pain from the floor, rubbing his head. Grimmjow soon came to stand in the entrance, fist still raised.

Ulquiorra' attention shot back to Orihime and her friend. His former prisoner's eyes were wide. "G-Grimmjow!" she stammered.

He looked at her emotionlessly.

"Hey!" Tatsuki shouted, completely oblivious to the gravity of the situation. "Watch where you're throwing people, would you? Or do you lack the common sense to keep fighting away from a store front?"

Grimmjow blinked. For a second, Ulquiorra thought he saw some trace of surprise there. Then it was quickly gone. Orihime tried to quiet down her best friend.

"It would be best," Ulquiorra strictly advised, "if you two remained in the back."

"Oh, I see how it is." Kaeliel smirked. "You didn't want your little lady friend involved. So which one is it: big and beautiful or the feisty imp?"

"They are not part of this conflict," Ulquiorra deadpanned.

"And who are you calling an imp?" Tatsuki rebelled. "I bet I could kick you're a- into next week!"

Kaeliel's favorite insane grin appeared. "I'd like to see you try, little girl."

Tatsuki's fists tightened.

"Leave them, Kaeliel," Grimmjow ordered, "or would you prefer I force you into doing so?"

The offensive man huffed. He cast one last glance at the group before stomping on past Grimmjow, muttering, "Think you're so high and mighty just 'cause you're the freaking Cero Espada, ba-."

Grimmjow headed back into the room without another glance backward.

Orihime's face took on a look of shock. "Ulquiorra, what's going on here?"

"It's complicated," he answered. "Also, I would rather not confuse your friend."

Tatsuki folded her arms over her chest. Why was she always left out of these things?

"Tomorrow, then?" Orihime asked.

"Yes."

The two turned to leave.

"Orihime," he called. "Didn't you say you needed to buy some items here?"

"Oh, um, we'll just go to the convenience store," she answered. She smiled and left.

Ulquiorra realized that she hadn't needed anything in the first place.

Orihime learned that Ulquiorra was a good actor.

…

Orihime was not the only visitor that night, sadly.

Another orange-haired visitor decided to stick his head through the doorway. His intrusion was much less welcome. Orihime, Ulquiorra could handle, but having Ichigo Kurosaki anywhere _near_ him right now was a threat to his mental health.

"What do you want, Kurosaki?" Ulquiorra asked.

"I'm making sure that everything is under control here," Ichigo appeased.

"The Espada are all well in hand," Ulquiorra replied. "They have caused no harm so far and thus you should not have to worry about them injuring any members of your friends, family, or of this town."

Still, Ichigo did not look fully relaxed. "That's good to hear, but I meant with you, too."

Ulquiorra looked suspiciously at the other. "What are you insinuating?"

Ichigo let out a deep breath and leaned against a wall. "You've been acting weird ever since Toshiro got here and then a few hours ago when he and Karin found us out…"

Ulquiorra turned away from Ichigo, his gaze shifting toward the inside of the house. "I do not need one of your sporadic moments of piteous concern and sincerity."

"It's not just for you," Ichigo defended. "Toshiro looked upset."

"Why should you care?" Ulquiorra demanded.

"What?" Ichigo asked. "Did you think that while you were off in Hueco Mundo, playing big bad Espada, that no one else started to care? Ulquiorra, half of Soul Society has been trying to look out for that kid because, honestly, he has no clue how to take care of himself sometimes. Matsumoto, Ukitake, Rukia, Renji…"

"You?" Ulquiorra finally concluded.

Ichigo smiled. "It would be hard not to."

"I already knew," Ulquiorra informed. "I had seen all those Shinigami worrying, especially Matsumoto, and never let it slip that in your desire to protect everything you cared about, that barrier seemed to fall over Toshiro as well. For that, I will admit to being thankful because you and those other Shinigami were trying to do what I hadn't been able to. You looked at Toshiro…almost in the same way you look at your younger sister, Karin."

Ichigo's muscles tightened.

"I would imagine the reason they find each other's company so tolerable is that they find common ground in their distrust of their older brothers," Ulquiorra theorized.

"I just don't want Karin involved with Soul Society," Ichigo defended. "Everything I'm hiding from her is for her own good."

"As it is with Toshiro and myself," Ulquiorra replied.

Ichigo's eyes became distant. "By keeping his memories from him?"

"Yes. I would rather him avoid a mental breakdown."

"Toshiro's a tough kid," Ichigo admitted. "Are they really that bad?"

Ulquiorra blinked slowly, his form of showing exasperation. "Do you remember the events on top of Las Noches? That battle?"

"Kind of hard to forget," Ichigo muttered.

"What if Karin saw that?" Ulquiorra subtly demanded. "Had your younger sister seen you turn full Hollow, seen you tearing apart friends and enemies alike, witnessed every gory detail…and it broke her, would you be able to live with yourself?"

Ichigo was taken aback. He stuttered out, "N-no."

"Then do not question my motives because they are much along the same lines."


	8. Destruction of Secrets

**8**

**Destruction of Secrets**

…

Heavy, harsh breathing. Tossing…turning…trembling. Toshiro's whole being was shaking from the negative effects of the inside of his mind. He looked to be in pain.

…

"_Run, Toshiro!" Katashi screamed, his own face panicked and terrified._

_The little boy's feet were frozen in place._

"_Run!"_

_Dense pressure surrounded him, made him drop to his knees. Why couldn't he move?_

_A great shadow appeared. Katashi stared straight at it. Then, the older brother was…flying. The shadow had picked him up off the ground, crushing him within a black claw. The world turned to static. The body dropped. The bones were crushed, the neck at an awkward angle. Teal eyes and tear streaks…_

…

Ulquiorra's eyes widened at the sudden influx of energy. "This reiatsu," he said. "It's Toshiro's."

Before another word could be spoken, he was freed of the gigai and out the door. Ichigo followed shortly after him.

"Go home and protect Karin," Ulquiorra ordered. "With Toshiro's reiatsu at this level, it is only a matter of time before a Hollow shows up."

Ichigo nodded and took off in another direction. Ulquiorra headed back to Ukitake's apartment as fast as he could, blurring into sonido. He only slowed down upon entering the building. Again, there was only silence. Katashi burst into Toshiro's room.

It was the same as last time.

Ulquiorra kneeled by his brother's side and began to shake his shoulder. The boy didn't wake up. Instead, he went into a spasm.

The boy was turning as white as the man himself.

"Open your eyes," Ulquiorra said quietly. His fingers gently reached for Toshiro's arm. Focusing, he projected some of his own reiatsu. Toshiro's eyes snapped open. He pushed himself upward, breathing unsteady, staring at his blanket-covered knees.

He was shaking.

"It seems as if I am not the only one hiding things," Ulquiorra said. "How long has this been happening?"

No answer.

"Please speak to me."

Then, so quiet he could barely hear it, "…Why should I?"

"It is obvious that something is troubling you," Ulquiorra pointed out. "The nightmares seem to have gotten worse. Are they memories?"

Toshiro folded his arms and placed his head on top of them. He wouldn't look at his older brother. "I don't know."

The patter of rain began to thunder outside.

"You were letting off extensive amounts of reiatsu," Ulquiorra stated.

"Leave me alone," Toshiro protested.

"Toshiro," Ulquiorra reprimanded.

"Just go away!" Toshiro's head snapped toward him, eyes burning with emotion.

Ulquiorra stared back at him levelly. "I will not."

It was even worse than he had thought. The memories were becoming so strong that they were beginning to pull Toshiro back into their depths. The personality of his childhood was reemerging, breaking into his present life. For once, Ulquiorra was at a loss of what to do.

So he tried what would have worked all those years ago.

Ulquiorra slowly reached out a hand and ruffled Toshiro's hair. The man made an awkward attempt at a smile. Toshiro looked at him in shock.

"Toshiro," Ulquiorra said, "I think it is time we fully discuss this."

…

The rain. Karin stared wide-eyed at it from the front door of the Kurosaki house. Despite common sense, she stepped outside, letting the droplets hit her bare skin. They were cold, almost like snow. She closed her eyes and tilted her face toward the stormy sky. This feeling…it was familiar.

It felt like Toshiro.

Her breathing slowed and became calm until it was almost like she was asleep. She hated the cold and the rain. She lived for the heat and the sun. So why…?

The air suddenly became as heavy as lead. Karin's knees shook and she collapsed onto the hard pavement. Her calm breathing became labored. A shrill cry split the air.

A Hollow.

Karin struggled to stand. She couldn't lie around if one of those _monsters_ was about to show up! But the pressure was becoming stronger. She looked up. A white mask stared back at her hungrily. It was all she could do not to scream.

Scrambling backward, she felt energy rise within her. Reiatsu, Toshiro had called it. It pulsed through her veins just as naturally as adrenalin. She took a deep breath and stood. The creature looked at her quizzically. Then, it grinned.

Karin dodged a split second before its teeth would have bitten off her left arm. She took off down the street, away from her sleeping sister and father. That burning warmth rebelled inside her, begging to be let out. She felt it dancing along her fingertips.

The Hollow roared, stomping its foot against the pavement. The ground shook beneath her feet, forcing her to drop onto it. As she stared up at the monster that could easily bring her death, there was a flash in her obsidian eyes. Determination. Before she could think about what she was doing, Karin held her hands out in front of her face. Everything caged within her, the frustration, the energy, the heated power…she let her grip on it slip. If it wanted out so badly, she'd let it go already!

The creature screamed in agony as the red blast of energy sprang forth from the girl's fingers and made contact with its shoulder. Blood spurted fourth in a gory fountain. Karin watched in morbid fascination, her vision beginning to go black. A headache pounded against her skull. Was that all she had in her? How could she be so…so helplessly weak?

Now the Hollow was angry. It leered down at her, raising one mighty claw to the sky like an executioner's ax. She blinked blearily. No…

The next thing she saw was the shocked look on the Hollow's masked face as a sword ripped through its head. The beast disintegrated. Karin, with the scarce few strands of her remaining conscious, tried to look at her savior.

"Toshiro?" she whispered.

A frowning face came into view, accompanied by bright orange hair. "Karin!" Ichigo shouted. "Are you alright?" He scooped her off the ground. "Look, I know you hate me right now, but please tell me if you're okay."

She stared up at his worried face. Her jaw trembled. Unable to contain it any longer, Karin gripped her brother's shihakusho with shaking fingers and buried her face deep in its black fabric. She didn't cry-she refused to-but she also didn't complain when Ichigo wrapped his arms tighter around her.

"Karin," he whispered, "I'm so sorry."

She wasn't sure if he heard her mumble, "I know."

…

"Hey, Orihime?" Tatsuki asked.

"Mmm?" the cheery girl responded.

"Why do you hang around with that guy so much?"

Orihime blinked blankly at her friend. "Well, we do work together and…"-Orihime couldn't stop the soft, sad smile from coming to her lips-"I guess I feel bad for him. I know I shouldn't because he was never exactly nice to me, but he didn't even understand what a heart was and that was so horrible. Still, I think he was trying to all along. He was just so lost, sort of like a puppy." She giggled at her comparison. However, her giggles soon gave way to a heavier emotion. "Then he was just gone, but now he's back and he's changing and I-I want to be there for him."

Tatsuki sighed and shook her head at her friend's rambling. "Orihime…"

The hard-edged girl was cut off by a suffocating force. She gritted her teeth. Next to her, Orihime gasped. A Hollow! No sooner had this thought come to her mind than there was a vicious beast snarling in front of them.

"Tatsuki, run!" Orihime cried, hands flying to hairpins. "Kanten Z-"

Orihime never got to finish that command. More so, she never needed to. Tatsuki's foot rammed into the monster's mask. A long crack tore through the bone surface. A swiftly delivered a punch finished the job. The creature gave one final roar before vanishing. Orihime stared in outright shock as her best friend-the girl who'd always been there, who was like a sister to her-killed a Hollow with nothing but her non-weapon-wielding body.

"Tatsu…ki…" Orihime whispered.

The unsuspected warrior whirled around. A grin split her face. "What, did you think I was laying back while you were off in that creepy Hollows' world? I've been fighting these things ever since you guys left. Urahara taught me."

"But what if you get hurt?" Orihime protested. "I would never forgive myself!"

Tatsuki looked at her in disbelief. "You could get hurt just as easily, Orihime. I wouldn't forgive _myself_ if that happened."

Tears began to form in Orihime's eyes. She rushed forward and wrapped Tatsuki in a suffocating hug. "Oh, Tatsuki."

Tatsuki didn't speak, just smiled. The concrete walls of secrets were being torn down. It was a type of destruction she couldn't help but love.

…

**Thank you to my chapter 7 reviewers: ****-SoManyUpsAndDowns-**** and ****Hatsune-chan****. You guys made my day(s).**

**As of now, I have a grand total of 10 reviews. (Just a little under the 108 I managed to earn from **_**Like Brothers**_**, not that I'm complaining.) I guess this is what I get for writing the sequel a **_**year**_** later.**

**As a side note, I recently posted a one-shot called **_**First Strike.**_** It's a companion piece to this. Check it out if you feel like it, ignore it if you don't.**

**Also, changing the title. It will become**** _Like Strangers _from now on****.**

**That's all.**


	9. Planning Pandemonium

**Planning Pandemonium**

…

Ulquiorra placed a book on a shelf, oblivious to the world around him. His mind was still stuck on last night. Toshiro ended up telling him about the nightmare, although he didn't go into much detail. He said the whole thing had been hazy. After all this, the only thing Ulquiorra had said was, _"It is not real, Toshiro, and it never was. You have been over thinking lately and this is simply the stress on your subconscious, understand? All of this…it will go away soon enough. The memories will stop coming and so will the nightmares."_

Ulquiorra's fingers paused in their actions. He'd said those words so smoothly, so confidently. Toshiro had believed him. The man closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the wood. Toshiro had lent him his trust again and Ulquiorra…Ulquiorra had lied to him.

He remembered when he'd held Orihime captive, she had wanted him to lie to her. She wanted him to assure her that her friends would be alright, that she shouldn't worry. Right now, wasn't he telling that same sort of lie to Toshiro?

"_All of this…it will go away soon enough."_

For Toshiro's sake, he had to hope it would.

"Katashi Hitsugaya!" a loud man called. Ulquiorra looked over at his boss. "You're off the clock."

Ulquiorra nodded solemnly, putting away the last of the books before checking out. Hands in his pockets, he made his way down the street, squinting against the bright sun. He walked straight past Orihime's apartment, Ukitake's, and into the more desolate part of town. There, the Urahara's shop came into view. Reiatsu clung thinly around it, but Ulquiorra knew that it was only being temporarily contained and was little more than a ticking time bomb.

He strolled inside, not bothering to look at the other occupants before taking a seat at the low table. The others-which consisted of Ichigo, Rukia, Uryu, Chad, Orihime, Toshiro, and Matsumoto-stared at him blankly. They stopped once Urahara strolled in, Yoruichi close behind.

"Alright, Matsumoto," Urahara called, "what's this big news ya dragged us all out to hear?"

The woman's expression became serious, something that was an automatic red flag. "You are all aware of how uncoordinated Soul Society has become in these past few months and due to this, they have been opting for plans to regain stability. Captain, I know, has already heard some of the options, but they have recently finalized one."

"We're not going to like this very much, are we?" Ichigo asked.

Matsumoto gave him a sympathetic smile. "Probably not."

"They planned this without two of the captains present?" Toshiro demanded. "I find it rather suspicious that they would wait until both Captain Ukitake and myself were away."

"I would think that might be because both of you did not turn in an Espada when given the chance and the orders," Ulquiorra cut in.

Toshiro's frown deepened. It was a valid point. During his suspicions that Ulquiorra may have in fact been his long-lost older brother Katashi, he'd hid the former Cuatro Espada from Soul Society. Ukitake had assisted in this. Was Seireitei's trust in them failing now?

Matsumoto resumed her report. "While that may be possible, I'd think you'd like to hear the plan first. Seireitei has issued a warrant to relocate all individuals of Karakura Town with high reiatsu into Soul Society." She took out a piece of paper. "They gave me a list of names, but I think you already know most of them."

Toshiro rubbed his forehead. "Read it anyway."

"Ichigo Kurosaki, Orihime Inoue, Uryu Ishida, Yasutora Sado, Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihoin, Tessai Tsukabishi, Jinta Hanakari, Ururu Tsumugiya, Tatsuki Arisawa-"

"Tatsuki?" Ichigo exclaimed.

Matsumoto bit her lip, glancing over at a nervous Orihime. "Twelfth Division has received reiatsu alerts that traced back to her and reports from patrolling Shinigami that she's been fighting Hollows while you were rescuing Orihime."

"Wait, so does that mean…" Ichigo froze, looking like he was about to have a break down. "Matsumoto, is Karin on the list?"

The woman nodded. "Karin Kurosaki. I'm sorry, Ichigo."

The teen leaned back heavily, unable to think.

"This is ludicrous," Toshiro protested.

"I'm not even finished yet," Matsumoto lamented. "They also want the return of Ulquiorra Schiffer/Katashi Hitsugaya, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, Pesche Guatiche, Dondochakka Bilstin, and-since the news of the other Arrancars' offer-Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, Kaeliel Aratashi, Ira Tenta, and Ari Tenta."

"Please tell me that's all," Uryu said, his tone unwavering.

"Seireitei is also trying to contact the Vizards and several others were considered before being labeled as having no consequence," Matsumoto replied.

"Who else is there left to consider?" Ichigo demanded.

"Yuzu Kurosaki," she answered, much to Ichigo's displeasure. "She may not have abilities yet, but Soul Society was wary since both of her siblings are already on this list and she may develop higher reiatsu later. However, they decided against it because she does not yet know of Soul Society or Shinigami and her reiatsu is not at a point of concern. I wouldn't doubt that an eye will still be kept on her, though."

Ichigo sighed. "Anyone else?"

"Keigo Asano, briefly, because of his interactions with Ikkaku and Yumichika," Matsumoto mentioned, "but he thinks everything is a movie and, again, he's not much of a concern. That's all."

"Yeah, _for now,_" the carrot-top mumbled.

"I have to discuss this with the Captain Commander," Toshiro announced.

"Ah, Captain, I need to talk with you first," Matsumoto piped up. She swung the boy around the corner and into the empty shop.

"What is it?" he asked.

Her crystal blue eyes held a deep sorrow and pity in them, all aimed directly at him. She found it hard to make her mouth form the words. "Captain, about the Arrancar…I neglected to mention something in there. They…they don't just want to _relocate_ them."

"Well, obviously," Toshiro said. "Letting four highly powerful Arrancar run loose would be disastrous. What method of restraint are they planning on?"

Matsumoto's lower lip quivered. She looked like she was about to cry. He didn't understand. "Captain, they don't want to use restraints. They want us to purify them. All _eight_ of them."

"Eight…" Toshiro's eyes went wide in comprehension.

"I'm sorry," she half sobbed. "They've ordered you to kill your brother."

…

**In case you did not understand that last part, Toshiro was not counting Nel, Pesche, Dondochakka, and Ulquiorra. He was only thinking of Grimmjow, Kaeliel, Ira, and Ari.**

**Thank you to my chapter 8 reviewers: **-SoManyUpsAndDowns-, Azublue, Hatsune-chan, and rachel-angelhero.


	10. Escape

**10**

**Escape**

…

"Have you told Katashi yet?" Ukitake asked.

Toshiro shook his head vigorously. "I can't. I can't tell him that I'm…that I'm supposed to kill him!"

Ukitake watched as the boy in front of him unraveled. He'd only had his brother back for a month and now Soul Society was going to force them apart again. He was torn between loyalty to Soul Society and his want to keep Katashi close.

"I can see that you're not going to be able to do it," Ukitake noted.

"But I have to," Toshiro said. "I know that it would be better for him because he'd finally be able to find peace and be rid of that Hollow part of him, but I selfishly don't want him to leave again or…to be the one to have to do it. Still, I would never forgive myself it I let someone else do it instead."

Ukitake placed a hand on Toshiro's shoulder. "Have you ever considered asking him?"

Toshiro looked down at his feet. "How?"

"I can't answer that for you, Toshiro," Ukitake said. "This is something you'll have to figure out on your own. Meanwhile, I will talk to Soul Society and see if we can lessen the extremity of their plans."

"Are you sure you're not too sick still?" Toshiro questioned.

"I am fine," the man answered. "Now, why don't you go lie down for a little bit? I think you need some time to think."

Toshiro nodded and vanished from the room. Ukitake watched carefully before speaking. "Katashi, I know you're there, you can come out now."

The black-haired teen appeared from around the corner. "My reiatsu is completely hidden," he stated. "How did you know I was there?"

"Because eavesdropping used to be one of your favorite pastimes," Ukitake recalled. "Toshiro picked up his curiosity from you, you know."

"I heard all of it," Ulquiorra said. "They have actually requested that Toshiro kill me?"

"Yes," Ukitake responded.

Ulquiorra's vivid eyes drifted to a blank spot on the wall. It was like he was looking a hundred years in the past. "I do…not know how I feel about that."

"I can't imagine you would," Ukitake remarked.

"It would…be the right option, as defined by Soul Society," Ulquiorra thought aloud. "As Toshiro said, I would no longer be any part Hollow and if he could not complete this action, they might view him as disloyal."

"I don't think many people would blame him for being unable to slay you," Ukitake answered.

Ulquiorra finally met the man's eyes. "I am trying to think of what life would be like for him afterward."

"Katashi…"

"If it is inevitable that they will kill me," the younger continued, "and all goes as according to their plan, then at least I know that there will be many who will care for him."

"Where is this all coming from?" Ukitake questioned, searching the boy's empty eyes wildly.

"Cold logic and probability," Ulquiorra answered.

"We're going to try to avoid that outcome," Ukitake refuted.

Ulquiorra blinked. "I think that over time, Ichigo Kurosaki might come to take my place."

"Why do you say that?" the older man wondered.

"I talked to him," Ulquiorra said. "That look in his eyes…he's someone who wishes to protect. He might be able to do so better than I would."

Ukitake looked surprised. "I thought you disliked Ichigo."

"I find him more of an annoyance," Ulquiorra answered. "However, I feel some strange sense of unexplainable familiarity."

A soft chuckle came from Ukitake. "It's because you two are more alike than I think either of you would like to admit."

"In what way?"

"Both of you have this _need_ to protect," Ukitake said. "Always. Whenever what you've been protecting is taken away, you find something else-someone else. Both have younger siblings with high reiatsu who you would risk your lives to keep safe. Both lost a parent to a Hollow at a young age. Both of you struggle with inner Hollows of your own. Both scowl more than smile. Have you noticed?"

Ulquiorra distinctively frowned. "I see. In that case, I definitively think that Kurosaki would be able to act as an older brother figure to Toshiro once I am gone."

"What about Orihime? She would miss you as well."

"Orihime has plenty of friends," Ulquiorra replied. "I am more of a hindrance to her happiness. Over time, she will forget."

"You sound like you think the world may be better off without you," Ukitake said.

Ulquiorra's stare was cold. "I have already told you, I am simply using logic."

"Katashi?"

"Yes?"

"Not everything…can be explained using logic. Sometimes, you have to use your heart."

Ulquiorra's hand lightly touched the metal ring that hung around his neck, right over where his heart would be. The one keeping his Hollow in check. He clenched his hand around it.

"I see."

…

Ichigo tried to smile for his family.

He really did.

But knowing that Soul Society might steal him away from his life in a matter of days was a hard thing to bear. He kept looking at their faces and knowing that he might never see them again. Well, except for Karin, that is. She was on the list, too, but maybe…maybe he could convince them that there wasn't any threat in leaving her here. So he would never get to finish his human life. That didn't mean she had to suffer the same fate!

Ichigo had to suddenly excuse himself from the dinner table. He hid in his room where no one could see him place his head in his hands: where no one could watch him slowly breaking down.

The door opened and small feet padded in. An unusually soft voice asked, "Ichigo?"

The boy's head whipped up to meet the stare of his visitor. "Karin," he whispered.

She ducked her head down. "I knew something was wrong."

"Nothing is-"

"Ichigo, don't lie to her," Rukia interrupted, stepping in through the open doorway. "She deserves the truth."

"But Rukia-!"

She fixed him with an icy glare. Ichigo's protests died in his throat. He sighed. Then, patting the bed next to him, he said, "Karin, come here."

She did as she was told. "What's going on?"

"How much do you know about Soul Society?" Ichigo's face was completely serious.

"Only a little," she answered. "It's where all the Shinigami live."

His frown deepened, if that was at all possible. "Well, things over there are a little…messy, right now. I don't expect you to understand all of this or not to be angry. The thing is, they've asked me to go there."

"For how long?" she questioned.

"For forever, Karin."

She finally understood the pain in his eyes. "No!" she shouted. "No, you…you can't!" She whipped around to face Rukia. "Why?"

The older girl couldn't meet her eyes, gazing instead toward the floor. "The captains have decided that it would be the best solution."

"So Toshiro is in on this, too?" that small girl demanded.

"No," Ichigo answered. "Toshiro is completely against the plan. He called it crazy right after…"

Ichigo was unable to finish his sentence.

"She'll find out sooner or later," Rukia insisted. "I think she'd rather you tell her."

Ichigo nodded. Gently, he placed his hand on his Karin's shoulder. "I'm not the only one on the list to be moved, Karin. He called it crazy right after they read your name."

Ichigo thought she would panic or scream or even break her promise to herself and cry. Yet, all she said was; "Oh."

Nothing else, just; "Oh."

"Karin?" he asked, gripping her shoulder tighter.

Then, Ichigo saw something that, to him, was almost unbearable. The light faded from Karin's eyes, her face became emotionless, and she said, "I see."

"What do you mean by 'I see'?" Ichigo argued. "There's nothing _to_ see. There's…I'm going to try getting you out of this, I swear. I never wanted you to be involved with Soul Society."

She blinked and looked up at him. "Is this because I used kido?"

"Where did you learn that word?" Ichigo asked.

Her voice still held no tone as she answered, "Toshiro taught me."

"Toshiro…" Ichigo shook his head. "No, that wouldn't have been why. The plan was decided before that."

"Then because I attacked Hollows?" she continued, her brows creasing a bit.

"Karin, how long has this been going on for?" Rukia wondered.

"Ever since Ichigo left…that first time," she muttered.

Pain began to seep out from under the mask. Pain from Ichigo's long departures, pain from never knowing when or if he'd be back, pain from realizing that soon she would have to leave, too. Ichigo saw this and wrapped his arms around her. Rukia chose this moment to leave. They needed some time alone.

…

"Who knows, Tatsuki, maybe it'll be fun!" Orihime suggested energetically.

Tatsuki only raised an eyebrow. "Who are you trying to fool?"

That said, Orihime's happy façade dropped. She ducked her head. The orange-haired girl had been given the task of breaking the news to Tatsuki: that Soul Society wanted to uproot them all. While everyone was still going to fight for their right to stay in the human world, it was a good idea to prepare for the worst.

"I guess it's not as bad for me," Orihime whispered, "because I don't have any family and all of my good friends are being relocated, too. Your family is still here, though, and your martial arts team, and all of this is so sudden…"

Tatsuki sighed and sat back against her best friend's wall, closing her eyes and raising her head to the ceiling as if she was praying. "Well," she said, keeping her tone even, "at least we'll be together, right?"

Orihime forced a smile onto her face. "That's right! All of us will. You, me, Ichigo, Ulquiorra, Chad, Uryu, and Rukia will be there, too, because she's a Shinigami, plus Renji-but I don't know if you remember him. Oh, there's so many people that I'll have to introduce you to!"

Tatsuki smiled softly, letting Orihime play out her over-energetic little rant and scenarios, obviously trying to distract the both of them from the big problem: the hard times and huge changes ahead.

"…they have sparring there, too, because pretty much everyone in Seireitei knows how to fight. I'm sure you could go one-on-one with someone and even beat them! You're so strong, I have no doubt about it!" Orihime was making punching motions in the air to add to the effect of her forced enthusiasm.

"So, when should I start packing my bags?" Tatsuki asked, making an attempt to keep her voice light.

"I don't know," her friend answered. "We haven't heard much else and everyone's still fighting Soul Society on it."

"Not even an estimate of how long we have left?" the short girl remarked. "I'm taking a point off of their score for sloppy work."

Orihime's lips lifted softly at the half-hearted tease. Tatsuki…Tatsuki was tough. If anyone could do this, it was her.

…

Ira and Ari sat back to back, identical concerned looks upon their young faces. Grimmjow leaned against a wall silently. Even Kaeliel lacked the usual loudness in his aura.

"Something ain't right about this," Kaeliel muttered. "There's no way those Shinigami would welcome us into their precious Soul Society with open arms."

"Isn't it obvious?" Ira scoffed, the childish mischief stolen from his violet eyes.

The same effect was displayed on Ari. "They're going to dispose of us and our powers one way or another."

Both heads nodded in synchronization. "We never should have asked for their help."

"I hate to say it, but I agree with them," Kaeliel replied. "We should've known those stuck up ba- would never help us."

Grimmjow's head nodded slowly, sternly. "Then we're leaving."

Ira and Ari stood, hands joined. "When?" they asked.

"Now."

"Ah-ah, not so fast," Urahara's voice rang out. The man quickly slipped through the sliding doors, making sure no one was following him. He was holding a backpack.

"I will destroy you if you get in our way," Grimmjow threatened.

"I'm not going to," Urahara replied. He threw the bag at Grimmjow. "Actually, I'm here to help. I heard Soul Society's plans. They have ordered your deaths. Seeing as you've come in peace, I cannot allow that."

"So what's in the bag?" Kaeliel wondered.

At this, Urahara's mad scientist grin appeared. "Oh, just a few little going away gifts." He walked over and pulled out a small vial. "First off, these are pieces of Soul Candy that I've modified. They'll overcome the devices implanted in your gigai. You'll be able to get out if you need to." He placed them back inside, replacing them with a black wristband. "Second, this is one of my newer inventions. If you put this on in soul form, it will completely hide your reiatsu. Just take note, it will automatically deactivate should you enter Soul Society. I've packed quite a few in here, in case any are damaged." This time, the scientist brought out four cards. "Lastly, these are fake identification cards. They will help you get by in the World of the Living if you choose to stay instead of returning to Hueco Mundo while it is so disorderly."

"Why are you doing all of this?" Grimmjow asked.

Urahara hid under the shade of his hat. "I already told you. It would be unjust for me to sit by and watch Soul Society slay those who hold no ill intentions."

The man was thoroughly surprised when two pairs of small arms gripped him around the waist. Ira and Ari exclaimed, "Thank you, Mr. Urahara!"

He ruffled their dark silver hair gently, almost affectionately. "You're welcome. Now scram before we're all caught and sentenced to death."

"What about Ulquiorra?" Grimmjow questioned. "Do they plan to murder him as well?"

"Yes, from what I've heard," Urahara answered. "I've already spoken to him and offered the same protections. He refused. He said he had his own solution."

Grimmjow nodded sullenly. He understood. "We will be leaving now, then."

"You better go quickly," the ex-Shinigami ushered. "You'll want to get as far away as you can while it's still dark out."

With that, Grimmjow began to push the small group of Arrancar out the door, down the hall, and into the night. Urahara tilted his hat toward their vanishing figures. A small black cat crawled up to his legs. The man bent down to stroke her ears.

"What have you done now, Kisuke?" Yoruichi demanded.

"Hopefully, the right thing," he answered.

…

**Special thanks to: **windlily, -SoManyUpsAndDowns-, 69EmoGaaraFan69, fan girl 666, rachel-angelhero, and Azublue.

**You guys are my inspiration!**


	11. Locked

**11**

**Locked**

…

Slow, steady, even breaths. Dodge, fall in, swipe. _Shink._ The Hollow roared as it fell to the ground seconds before dissolving. Ulquiorra breathed in deeply, pushing away guilt as he absorbed a few stray spiritual particles. His returning Arrancar abilities had made him hungry for them again. It was with the upmost restraint that he refrained from attacking them as a source of nutrition once more.

Sliding his blade back into its sheath, Ulquiorra rushed to his gigai. He slipped into it effortlessly, then ran around the corner. Orihime stood there waiting for him, the morning sun glinting off of her hair. Her violet-gray eyes glistened. No, not with sadness or fear, but with sheer life. The Hollow inside Ulquiorra growled in a lusting hunger.

"That was fast," Orihime commented.

"Do not think that being in the World of the Living has caused me to lose my skills, Orihime," he replied, making a point of saying her name.

She smiled at this. "Do you think being in Soul Society would make it easier, though?"

"I have no insight on this matter," he replied. His voice gave no indication that anything was wrong. Good. He didn't have any plans of letting her know that his death was to soon be expected or that he knew of this fact.

"If we do all get moved, will you miss it here?" she persisted.

"That question is pointless," he stated. Then, seeing the spark fade from her eyes, he amended, "Places hold no value if they are empty."

Her smile returned. "So everything will be all right as long as we're all together, right, Ulquiorra?"

"If you think so," he said. He forced the corners of his lips upward ever so slightly. It was such a soft, almost sad smile.

She gasped. "You're smiling!"

"Your attitude has become strangely infectious," he lied. He watched as the small expression brought a new level of brightness to her demeanor. She began laughing and babbling away. His faked smile melted into a more relaxed one. This is how he wanted her to remember him. These soft-spoken words, these meaningless actions…if they erased some of the scars he'd left on her by his own hand, then it was worth it. With nothing else to leave her, then the impression that she'd succeeded in changing him-curing him-in some way was all he could do.

Right now, she had no idea.

She was clueless.

Oblivious.

But, he thought, some things were better left unknown. As much as he would like to leave her with the better half of himself, he selfishly wanted the same: to leave seeing her smiles rather than her tears. If, like Toshiro, he remembered anything once he was reborn into Soul Society, he didn't want it to be of injuries he'd caused this girl.

He'd rather dream of her smiles.

That way, maybe, he could wake up smiling himself.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as Orihime tugged on his arm. He caught the hint and they began to walk. They took their time, moving without any rush. Next to him, her steps had a little skip in them. Her eyes shone a little brighter. He captured the memory in his brain.

Orihime Inoue used to be a confusing, annoying being to him.

Now, he hoped that he would one day remember this moment, frozen, just as it was.

…

"We're really going to Soul Society?"Nel asked, her mouth and eyes wide open in awe. Then, she began to pout. "But I like it here. Ichigo, don't make us!"

Ichigo gagged as Nel jumped up to hug him tightly, bawling like a small child and begging. His bones were being crushed.

"E-Easy there, Nel," he choked out. "It won't be that bad."

"But I'll miss you guys!"

He patted her on the back in what was meant to be comforting, but really ended up as just awkward. "Um, there, there. It won't be that bad and…it's not like you'll never see us again."

Pesche and Dondochakka eyed the carrot-top suspiciously. "You're not lying to us, are you, Ichigo?" Pesche insinuated.

"What? Of course not!" the boy denied. "Why would I lie to you guys?"

"So we'll go down without a fight!" Dondochakka suggested.

Ichigo slapped his forehead. Sometimes, those two could be regular migraine machines. He still wasn't used to them being here…or not dressed up in ridiculous attire. Pesche-blonde-haired, golden-eyed, and lanky-was strange of a sight enough. Put the well-muscled, red-headed giant form of Donodochakka beside him and that was even worse. He'd as of yet to figure out how the stunning Nel fit into this awkward little equation. She made their group appear even more bizarre, if anything.

Looking back at the trio, his face softened. "I'm not lying to you. At this rate, they're going to drag me there, too, and even if they don't, I'll come visit."

"P-Promise?" Nel sniffled.

"Yeah," he said. "Promise."

Her face brightened. "That makes Nel very happy."

Ichigo sighed. "Nel, what did we say about third person?"

"Oh," she muttered. "Right. I am older and more mature. I am not trapped as a child anymore. So…that makes _me_ very happy."

"Good," the carrot-top said. "You know, I think you'd get along great with Yachiru."

"Who's that?" she asked, gray eyes growing in wonder.

"She's…well, I don't actually know how old she is, but she looks maybe six, about this tall,"-here, he put his hand a few feet off the ground-"has bright pink hair, and loves to play."

"Aw!" Nel screamed. "She sounds so cute!"

"And I don't think you'll have any problem with Kenpachi, her guardian I guess, either," Ichigo thought. "Actually, he'll probably love you. He's fanatical about anything tough and strong."

She grinned at this. "Then I'll make sure to be the toughest and strongest."

"Thatta girl," he cheered, patting her on the head.

She immediately scowled. "Ichigo, you're the one telling me to act my age, so you should stop treating me like I'm a kid."

He looked totally bewildered at this. Nel had no choice but to laugh at his facial expression. After hearing the noise, the shock melted into a warm smile.

That's when Ichigo's phone rang.

This would be perfectly fine if it wasn't the phone Soul Society had given him. Happy mood vanishing, Ichigo picked up. "Yeah?" There was a pause. "No, she's not." Then, "I'll be right there."

"I something wrong, Ichigo?" the aqua-haired woman inquired.

"It's nothing," he assured, heading for the door. "Urahara needs me to come over. Soul Society has agreed to negotiate the terms on being relocated. He…wants me to bring my little sister, Karin."

…

Toshiro strolled anxiously toward the Urahara shop. Under the stress, he was unknowingly trying to copy Ulquiorra's fluid walk, as if doing so would also lend to him his older brother's patience. He'd just received a call from the scientist, saying that his presence was required _right away._ Katashi would be coming as fast as possible, as would Ukitake and Matsumoto.

There was to be a meeting concerning the details of the plan.

The mere thought caused his pace to quicken. This could decide everything. Faces flashed through his mind. They were all the people who would be affected by this one moment. As he thought, familiar reitasu appeared close by. He was near the shop now and he wasn't the first arrival.

Pushing the door open, the young captain strolled in. He immediately spotted Ichigo and Karin sitting by the low table. The mere sight of the orange-haired imbecile caused Toshiro to remember the bag in his hand. As a dysfunctional sort of greeting, he threw it.

At Ichigo's head.

"I think you misplaced something," the white-haired boy growled.

"What the h-, Toshiro?" Ichigo mumbled, rubbing a sore spot.

"That's Captain Hitsugaya, to you," Toshiro responded coldly.

Choosing to ignore the comment, Ichigo looked in the bag. Surprise struck as he pulled out Kon. "Where…?"

"Somehow," Toshiro answered, "that _thing_ found its way into Matsumoto's room."

Ichigo had the decency to look embarrassed. Glancing down at the stuffed lion, he noticed something odd. "Hey, how come he isn't moving?"

Toshiro tossed a little green pill with the simple explanation, "It wouldn't shut up."

Ichigo snorted. "You know, I think I'll keep him like this for a little longer."

"Hey," Karin greeted, waving. She looked exhausted.

The boy nodded to her.

"Ne, Toshiro?" Karin called. "Why are they making Ichigo go to Soul Society?"

"Because-"

"Hey! How come you let _her_ call you Toshiro?" Ichigo demanded.

"Because she's not an idiot," he retorted flatly, "nor is she a Shinigami, least of all a combination of the two."

Ichigo scowled at this.

"Now, if you'd let me finish," Toshiro snapped, "I was about to say that the reasons behind his relocation are to stop spreading his reiatsu _everywhere_, therefore attracting Hollows, and because…" Toshiro pulled a face, as if this news was distasteful. "…because they want him to fill one of the open captain positions."

"What?" the two shouted in shock.

Toshiro rubbed his sure-to-be-damaged ear. There was an odd ringing in it still. In response to their outburst, he replied, "So we are all in agreement that this is a disastrous idea."

"But what about the others?" Ichigo protested. "What does Soul Society want with them?"

"From what I've heard," Toshiro answered, "they think Orihime would be a fantastic addition to Fourth Division, Zaraki is already 'calling dibs' on Sado, and I have no clue why they want your Quincy friend there."

"I think you're missing a few people," Ichigo noted.

"Shinigami Academy," was all he said. "Most likely."

Toshiro noticed Karin stiffen.

"It's one of the aspects Ukitake and I are arguing against," he informed. "This simply proves that the recent rash of disorder has caused corruption to spread. Soul Society has never willfully recruited help from the World of the Living and I can't believe that they would so easily steal such a large number away from it to place into the ranks, regardless of spiritual abilities."

"You seem rather upset about this," Ichigo noted.

"I would rather they not force yet _another_ soul into following a path they do not wish to, especially if there is no dire need," Toshiro clarified.

Ichigo noticed the haunted look in the boy's eyes as he mentioned this. By his stress on the word "another," Ichigo could tell that this was a road the boy had already traveled. Remembering the dullness that stole over Karin once he told her Soul Society wanted to relocate them, he compared it with Toshiro's cold, hard demeanor. It was a warning.

However, Karin was a little more oblivious.

"Another?" she questioned.

He averted his teal eyes from her. "I will go no further into this matter."

The tense moment was broken by a shrill cry. While Ichigo and Karin jumped in alarm, Toshiro only shook his head. Looks like the rest of the party had arrived. The trio watched as Matsumoto and Ukitake filed in, the former partially supporting the latter as he coughed. The eccentric woman's head perked up.

"Captain!" she squealed. "I didn't know if you were here yet. And Karin! You, too! I thought it was just Ichigo."

"Ah, hello, Captain Hitsugaya," Ukitake greeted.

Suddenly, Ichigo remembered what Ulquiorra had said about a neutral barrier erecting itself around Karin and Toshiro. Ukitake and Matsumoto might not have been able to feel them until entering the room. He cast quick glances between the two young ones. They didn't seem to know nor care about this phenomenon.

The bell on the front door jingled again.

"Hello!" Orihime called, strolling in. Tatsuki was by her side, followed closely by Ulquiorra. The pale man seemed distracted by something. Then, his eyes met Toshiro's and he nodded in greeting.

The room was beginning to get crowded and as Chad and Uryu finally made their appearance, Ichigo began to wonder if they were exceeding the maximum capacity of this place. Already, the image of a fire marshal coming in to shut down this massive gathering of Shinigami and otherworldly gifted humans came into his head.

"Alright, everyone," Urahara called, clapping his hands for everyone's attention. His eyes drifted around the room nervously. This place could easily explode at any given moment. There was barely enough room for the communication screen.

"Urahara, where are the Espada?" Ichigo questioned.

Sweat began to drop from the man's forehead. "Well…you see…they, uh, escaped last night. However, not to worry, because I can always track them down if need be."

The tension spiked.

"Now," the scientist said, "we are about to open communication lines with Soul Society. This conversation is to discuss the plan. Is there anyone who has any questions beforehand?"

No one spoke.

"Good." Urahara felt like slamming his head into a wall rather than go through this. "Now, if you'll just wait a few minutes…"

Soon, the screen crackled to life behind him. He skittered out of the way as a face appeared. The Head Captain. In the background, several other captains and members of Seireitei also stood. It felt like they were about to discuss war strategy.

"Head Captain Yamamoto," the room greeted, bowing in synchronization. This was followed by quiet curses as heads occasionally bumped into the others around them. Had this very important man not been watching, a brawl might have occurred.

"I understand," the Head Captain replied, "that there has been discontent with the plan to relocate all individuals with high reiatsu to Soul Society. To avoid violent conflict, I ask you to voice your complications regarding it so that we may possibly find a more tolerable solution. I will warn you in advance, though, that your requests may be turned down should they be deemed threatening to Soul Society. Recall the reason this plan has been decided on. We wish to bring peace both to the World of the Living and to Soul Society."

"Sir," Toshiro spoke up. "I understand this and with all due respect, I ask for you to allow the humans to stay here. They cause no immediate threat and if there was some way to restrain their reiatsu, Hollows would not be so often drawn here. If this cannot be done for those we had previously labeled ryoka, then I simply ask that Karin Kurosaki and Tatsuki Arisawa be granted exemption."

"Denied."

Toshiro subtly winced. "Head Captain Yamamoto, surely, there must be some way to work around this. Possibly a joint operation that would allow those individuals to stay in the human world while remaining in contact with Soul Society."

"I agree," Ichigo added. "We haven't done anything to cause harm here and things are running just fine without being changed. There's no need to do something so extreme, especially where Karin and Tatsuki are involved."

"Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya and Ichigo Kurosaki," Yamamoto declared, "that would defeat the purpose of this. We must pull forces out of Karakura Town in order to lead interest away from it. Containing reiatsu would not be enough. We cannot use it as a stronghold and risk the possibility of it being overtaken and turned against us. Keeping a centralized base there could become a threat to us."

"By doing this, you are taking away their rights and punishing them for a crime they have not committed," Toshiro argued.

"Stand down, Captain Hitsugaya," Yamamoto ordered. "I believe you are too personally connected to this issue and it may be clouding your judgment. Your input will be further disregarded."

Seething now, Toshiro bowed reluctantly and backed away. Ulquiorra gripped his younger brother's arm firmly to keep the boy from making any rash movements.

"What about the Espada?" Matsumoto piped up. "They only came here searching for a peaceful solution and aid concerning the havoc in Hueco Mundo, which has become our concern due to the high rate of Hollow attacks."

"My decision on that matter stands as is," Yamamoto announced. "If we aid in controlling that region, it would only make it easier for that group to come to power and lead them against us."

"Is that your reason behind plucking out the Vizards, too?" Ichigo demanded. "Technically, they aren't under your authority anymore."

"Neither are the Quincy," Uryu noted.

"The Vizards can be considered escaped criminals and accomplices to Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihoin, and Tessai Tsukabishi, making their capture under our jurisdiction. The same can apply to the Quincy considering the unresolved war."

"Is that what you call it?" Uryu demanded. "An unresolved war? You tried to completely exterminate us! I am one of the last of my kind! In any case, that was many years ago, before I was even born. It could not possibly apply here."

"Head Captain Yamamoto," Ukitake voiced. "I have to agree with them. Not to be disrespectful, but these reasons are coming across more like loopholes."

"Are you accusing me of ulterior motives, Captain Ukitake?" the elderly man asked in a steely tone.

It was at that moment that they all knew. Yamamoto had made up his mind coming into this. He had never considered changing the plan. It was simply a show for him to refute all their points with logical and legal reasons. He wanted them to know that he held all the power in this. They could do nothing. They _were_ nothing.

Their fate had been decided before that screen even blinked to life.

…

**Thank you: ****fan girl 666****, ****-SoManyUpsAndDowns-****, and ****Azublue.**


	12. Fate's Seal

**12**

**Fate's Seal**

…

They fought the futile war for hours. Now, night was upon them and the screen was black. They'd never had any chance of winning. The room was heavy with misery and defeat. Slowly, people began to clear out. Tatsuki had offered to let Orihime stay at her house for the night. Uryu knew that there was a long conversation with his father ahead of him and wondered if maybe it was too late to resolve their old issues so that at least he could leave on good terms (in case his escape plan failed). Chad did not have anyone to say goodbye to, but planned on taking one last long walk through Karakura. Matsumoto had escorted Ukitake back early. Now, the only ones remaining in the room were Ichigo, Karin, Toshiro, and Ulquiorra.

They all sat on the couch, Karin and Toshiro having fallen asleep awhile ago. Each of the younger siblings leaned up against their older counterparts. Ichigo had one arm wrapped tightly around Karin as if he could protect her from the world simply by not letting go. Ulquiorra was almost in pain as he watched Toshiro's sleeping face. That younger boy meant so much to him. The man could barely comprehend what he himself was about to do.

"Kurosaki," Ulquiorra said. "I have to request a favor. Look after Toshiro for me."

"Hey, what are you doing?" Ichigo asked as Ulquiorra stood up, letting Toshiro gently fall back against the couch.

"Something I should have done a long time ago."

…

Ukitake settled down in his apartment. He assured Matsumoto that he was fine before waving her off with a gentle smile. With a heavy sigh, he leaned back on the futon. This situation was so complicated. He opened his eyes to stare at the ceiling. Shifting, he moved to take something out from under his pillow. He smiled upon seeing the familiar sight of his "two favorite nephews." Then, his expression quickly turned to surprise as a slip of white paper slid out. His heart rate sped up. There was something wrong here. He snatched up the paper, eyes reading over the lines hastily.

As soon as he finished, it fell from his fingers. Ukitake, as sick as he was, managed to stand up and rush out the door. He placed the note in his pocket, hoping he was not too late.

…

Toshiro sped across the darkened land, tracking the strong reiatsu he'd sensed just a second ago. In fact, it had caused him to wake up from his sleep in alarm. Kurosaki had tried to stop him, but had failed. Now, each flash step caused the boy's heart to accelerate. Katashi had exited his gigai.

He must have found out about the plan.

The reiatsu grew stronger. Within the minute, Toshiro caught sight of Katashi. The white skin and teal tear streaks made him want to shiver. The older was simply standing there, gigai thrown off to the side.

"Katashi?" Toshiro called hesitantly.

"I thought I told Kurosaki to watch after you," he sighed.

"I escaped," Toshiro admitted. He stepped closer to the other. "Where were you going?"

Ulquiorra looked away.

"You know," Toshiro concluded.

"Yes," Ulquiorra said, "I know."

"Then why did you stop?" Toshiro asked. "You know they want me to murder you, so why didn't you keep running?"

"It is pointless," Ulquiorra said. "They will find me."

"If you don't leave, I'm going to have to kill you," Toshiro whispered. His tone pleaded, _Please don't make me._

Ulquiorra advanced at a measured pace until he was right in front of his younger brother. He bent down into a crouch so that they could talk face to face. "I would rather it be you than someone else. Draw your zanpakuto."

Toshiro did as he was told, but his hands were shaking. "I don't know if I can."

"You will have to," Ulquiorra responded. "If not now, then later. Do not throw everything you have worked for away. I am a Hollow. I cannot deny that, as this very second I am struggling for control. You have to do this in order for me to escape this perdition—this eternal suffering. Do you understand, Toshiro? You would be helping me. Then, one day, I might see you again on much more pleasant terms."

"Katashi…"

Hearing his name, Ulquiorra gasped, curling in on himself as he held tight to the pendent around his neck. Sweat broke out across his brow. "D— Hollow." Nearly choking, he said, "Toshiro, raise your sword now before I try to kill you."

Like a guillotine, the blade was raised. Toshiro's hands were still shaking. Ulquiorra stared straight at his brother's face, as if to memorize every detail. The only light was that of the perfect crescent moon ruling the sky above them. The Hollow moon. What Ulquiorra would remember the most was the sorrow and pain filling Toshiro's blue-green eyes as Hyorinmaru hovered over his head.

Ulquiorra nodded. "Do it."

The sword fell. Shock appeared first. Shortly after, Ulquiorra's face melted into a soft smile as the life was immediately sucked from him. The Hollow was…being quiet…at last…

He dissolved into spirit particles before he even hit the ground.

Toshiro watched in horror as his brother died again. His sword dropped to the ground. His legs couldn't hold him up any longer. Then, he did something he hadn't done in many years: he cried. Ukitake rushed to the boy's side, placing a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder. He'd seen the whole event.

"You did the right thing," he whispered. "Katashi will be at peace now."

Toshiro's tears wouldn't stop falling and he felt like he was drowning in them. Slowly, Ukitake wrapped his arms around the small figure. Toshiro fell into the embrace. Half a minute later, he passed out.

Ukitake scooped the child captain up into his arms and carried him away from that place.

It was over.

…

That night, Ichigo tucked Karin into bed. He kissed her forehead softly. For a few minutes, he just stood there and watched as she and Yuzu slept. It was so peaceful. Placing his hands in his pockets, he stepped out of the door. A frown became evident when he felt a small scrap of paper. He pulled it out, already knowing what it was. The distinct memory of Ukitake holding a sleeping Toshiro came to mind, one hand outstretched to give him this.

_Ichigo Kurosaki,_

_As you may know by now, I am either gone or dead. The difference depends on whether or not my inner Hollow prevented me from terminating this lifetime, forcing me to run instead. Either way, I have chosen to remove my complicating presence from your lives before Toshiro has a chance to do something rash. As it stands, I have planned to kill myself. If it worked, then you most likely already know that I am dead. Possibly forever, possibly not, but do not tell Toshiro my suspicions that I may not arrive in Soul Society after all. He does not need that burden. While I know that you and I could be considered rivals and this relationship was far short of friendship, there is one thing I would like to ask of you, not for me, but for Toshiro._

_First of all, I would like to thank you and everyone who has taken him into their care over the years that I could not. Do not think me ungrateful for that. However, it is this reason that I must also ask of you to continue doing so. Should this plan go through, all of the listed people will be placed in Soul Society, including you and your sister, Karin Kurosaki. I know that this is a particularly large favor to request, but treat Toshiro as if he is family. He is stubborn and troubled and the number of mysteries I have left him with will not help that, even if masking those answers had been for his own protection. However, I believe I can trust you to look past this and help him. He will never admit it, but he does look up to you and think of you in friendly terms. Perhaps it is because you, like both of us, have a need to be overprotective._

_Due to my absence, I have no regrets in admitting this trait. I am overprotective of things and people—Toshiro will have always been first, but in Hueco Mundo, I used the guise of protecting Las Noches to keep you far from Orihime although my mission to guard her had been terminated. I said cruel things to her to keep her separated from you and your friends. I could have let you take her, yet I did not. At the time, I had not realized this, but you had known all along. This need to defend—as twisted as it had become in my representation—is something I have noticed in you. That is why I ask you to act in my place._

_I deserve to ask nothing of you—not even for forgiveness for previous actions—so I will only ask this on Toshiro's behalf. However, as I write this, I know that you would have done so without my insistence. Orihime would say it is because you have a kind and warm heart. At the moment, I am thankful for that. Perhaps, you may be a better influence than I had ever been. Toshiro could use more warmth in his life. To give him this would be to give him more than I could ever ask for._

_ Sincerely,_

_ Ulquiorra Schiffer/Katashi Hitsugaya_

…

**Thanks: ****fan girl 666****, ****justjoy****, ****-SoManyUpsAndDowns-****, and ****Windschatten69**** for reviewing chapter 11.**

**Also, thank you ****Curious**** for reviewing chapter 6.**


	13. The Storm

**13**

**The Storm**

…

Toshiro woke up. The events of last night became a bullet to the head. At first, his mind screamed against it. He flew from bed and down the halls, stopping at where Katashi would be. The futon was empty. It hadn't been touched since yesterday morning. Slowly, Toshiro sunk to his knees, hand gripping the doorframe as his last line of support.

"Toshiro?" Ukitake asked. He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"He's…really gone," Toshiro whispered.

Ukitake nodded. "It was for the better."

The young captain's face remained in a state of blank shock. The look was one Ukitake remembered well, as Katashi had worn the same expression at the discovery of their father's death. It hurt his heart to see it.

"Captain," Ukitake heard Matsumoto say. Her voice was so soft, it could barely be heard. She came over to them. "Captain?" she repeated.

He suddenly stood, albeit shakily. His muscles wouldn't quite agree with him and the movement was awkward. He turned. Ukitake restrained a gasp. The boy's face had turned as hard as stone. All emotions were erased. Looking between them, he said, "I see."

His tone chilled Ukitake to the bone. "What do you mean, Toshiro?"

"I see what Katashi meant by not knowing sometimes being better," Toshiro answered. "I understand now, but now he is not here."

Toshiro pushed past Ukitake and Matsumoto, heading for the door.

"Captain, where are you going?"

Toshiro did not look back at them. "I need to be alone."

Once he left, Matsumoto said to Ukitake, "I'm scared for him."

"As am I," Ukitake agreed. "I believe that I need to contact Soul Society and report Katashi's death. After that, I will talk to Ichigo."

"Why Ichigo?"Matsumoto asked.

"Because," the man replied, "one of Katashi's last requests was for Ichigo to protect Toshiro. He will want to know this. Maybe he'll be able to do something."

Matsumoto nodded. "I'll go tell Orihime. She's going to be hysterical."

"I would wait a little longer," Ukitake advised. "Let her have another few hours of peace. After being told that the plan will commence, this could push her over the edge."

"Understood," the woman said. She paused. "Captain Ukitake, do you think everything will be alright?"

"In time," he answered. "In time."

…

"Griiiiimmjow!" Ira and Ari whined in unison.

"Urahara said we should get farther away," Ira pointed out.

"We're only a town over," Ari finished.

Indeed, they were walking along the streets of the town next door. They occasionally received an odd glance-after all, they were quite the sight, especially considering their virtual rainbow of unusual hair colors-but were otherwise ignored. At least Kaeliel wasn't with them at the moment. Emotionless mask still in place, Grimmjow led the two over into an alleyway.

"You know that we have to stay close by," he reminded. "If we want our way, we will stick this out and strike when the time is right."

The two set him with firm violet gazes.

"Do you understand?" he asked.

"Yes," they sighed.

"Good," he answered. "In any case, our forces may be growing. Nel Tu also resides in Karakura. Surely, she will run once she discovers their plan. We can catch her after that. She would be a…valuable addition."

"Because we need a former Tercera to complete our number sequence," Ari jabbed. A small smirk drifted onto his face.

"It's a shame what happened to Ulquiorra, though," Ira commented. His gaze drifted downward. "I guess that's what happens when you become too human for your own good."

Grimmjow snorted. "Do not forget. It was a force of humans and Shinigami that wiped out the first wave of Espada and, as Arrancar, we have some piece of humanity in us."

"But you're the strongest," Ira protested, "and the least human."

Grimmjow actually frowned at that. He clenched his seemingly normal left hand, nothing but skin slipped over bone armor. "Ira, Ari, you would do well to keep such observations to yourselves."

They blinked in mild astonishment. Did Grimmjow just…? Comprehension hit them in synchronized waves. Glancing to each other, they nodded, then ran up to grab either one of Grimmjow's hands. They began to lead him back out into the street.

"What are you two up to?" he questioned.

Grins stretched across their faces. "Nothing, big brother."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes at their antics. "I will not ask."

"It would be less suspicious," Ira insisted, "for us to pretend you are our older brother, preventing others from questioning why a grown man such as yourself would be escorting two children."

"And Kaeliel can be our cousin!" Ari added enthusiastically, glad that the purple-haired man was not there to argue at the moment.

Ira bobbed his head so fast it almost snapped loose. "Like one, big, seriously twisted family."

_And also,_ they thought, _so you could have the chance to feel more human again._

…

Rubbing a hand against his forehead, Ichigo looked up at the sky. Thick clouds were forming overhead. He may not have been very good at sensing reiatsu, but this had Toshiro written all over it. Karin had said the same thing the second the storm began to roll in.

Now, finding the boy was another matter. Ukitake warned that Toshiro was very unpredictable at the moment and, while he respected the young captain's wishes for some time alone, the look on his face had left the older unnerved. For a moment, Toshiro was an exact copy of the former Ulquiorra Schiffer: cold and lifeless. Hope had been eradicated. Purpose was gone. He was simply…empty.

The wind began to blow harder. Ichigo could feel that Toshiro was close by. He scanned the area. Then...there! The boy was standing on the overlook. From this vantage point, he seemed to be the king of the skies. The storm swirled above him impatiently, as if waiting for his signal, while gently tousling his snowy hair.

Ichigo picked up his pace and ran to the top of the hill. He slowed once he got within ten feet. "Hey," he called. "You should get out of the storm."

The boy didn't so much as flinch.

Walking to his side, Ichigo grabbed Toshiro's shoulder.

"Go away, Kurosaki," Toshiro snapped apathetically.

"I can't do that," Ichigo answered. "I promised Ulquiorra—Katashi—that I would look after you."

"…Go away, Kurosaki."

"No."

That seemed to be the breaking point. Toshiro spun on him, eyes alit with cold fire. A small hurricane came to life around the small boy. Ichigo took a step back in surprise.

"Toshiro!" he called.

"You're not needed here," Toshiro responded in a terrifyingly level tone of voice.

Pushing an arm in front of his face to buffer the wind, Ichigo cried, "Obviously, I am. Look at this storm! You've gone crazy!"

"I am perfectly under control," Toshiro defended.

"You know, I never took you as someone to lie to themselves," Ichigo answered.

Toshiro's fists clenched. He stared hard at the ground. "Just leave."

"I can't," Ichigo refused softly. "Not when you're like this. What kind of friend would I be then?"

"A respectful one," Toshiro said.

Ichigo fought to take another step closer. "Listen, I know what's it's like to lose someone. I lost my mother to a Hollow when I was nine. She gave her life to save me. That's what Katashi was trying to do for you."

The words became a sword shoved through Toshiro's heart. He doubled over, gripping his head as his control slipped even further out of his fingers. The storm became absolutely violent. The two would soon be blown off the top of the overlook. Through the rain and chaos, Ichigo just barely glimpsed Toshiro's huddled form. His eyes were squeezed shut tight.

"Toshiro!" Ichigo screamed.

The boy sank to the ground. The blackness was split by painful flashes of color and light.

…

_Toshiro was pushed out of the way by Katashi. "Run, Toshiro!"_

_Fear clenched his heart. He couldn't move._

"_Run!"_

_A heavy pressure forced Toshiro to the ground. Struggling, he looked up. His big, innocent eyes widened in pure horror. Katashi was being lifted off the ground by a shadow monster, the claw crushing him._

_It was one of the few times Toshiro had heard Katashi scream._

_A loud growl boomed in his ears, like thunder, but the words were indiscernible. At first. The longer he watched, the more clarity the situation gained. Horrible, painful clarity._

_The creature's bone mask alone was enough to scare Toshiro stiff. The rest of it was some grotesque, twisted, nausea-inducing mutation. He was amazed that his brother could stare straight at it without flinching. In fact, he looked…determined. And angry._

"_Leave Toshiro alone!" Katashi growled._

_The monster howled in laughter. "You are in no position to make demands, pathetic human. I am a powerful Hollow. My hunger cannot be satisfied by such a small child. The both of you would merely be an appetizer."_

_A new, dense pressure joined the first. Toshiro could hardly breathe under it all._

"_Oh, so you have some reiatsu, do you?" the thing taunted. "That little trick may have warded off other Hollows, but it only makes you look more delicious."_

_A long tongue slithered out to slide across Katashi's face. Toshiro was too terrified to look away._

"_Yet, this defiance…" the Hollow trailed. The bone mask grinned. "I have to break it."_

_Katashi shouted something, but Toshiro had no hopes of hearing what it was._

"_We'll see if we can fix that," the being roared. It shifted Katashi inside its claw until one talon was braced against the boy's arm. It squeezed._

_Katashi let out another painful scream as the bone broke. Toshiro could hear the crack from where he was. The monster only sneered._

"_Cry, little boy. Cry."_

"_I…will not," Katashi retorted. His voice was still strong despite the immense pain._

_The Hollow threw Katashi into the air, letting him drop several dozen feet before grabbing him with its tail. Like a snake, the appendage constricted. Katashi did not cry._

"_Can't even scream now?" that voice mocked._

"_Stop it!" Toshiro couldn't prevent the words from leaving his lips. "S-Stop!"_

_Katashi's eyes met his. _Run_, they seemed to say. _Save yourself.

"_Would you cry if I hurt that small child?" the Hollow asked, sadistically curious._

_Katashi glared at it. Another squeeze left him coughing weakly. The tip of the tail pressed itself against his throat._

"_Go ahead," the monster encouraged. "Say goodbye."_

_But it was obvious that Katashi's limit had been reached. His eyes were closing. His breathing was slowing._

"_No? Shame, then. Oh well, he will be joining you soon enough. Now…_cry._"_

_It only took that one last constriction. Tears fell down Katashi's deathly pale cheeks. The rest of him had gone limp. The Hollow grinned. The tip of its tail twitched over Katashi's neck. _Crack!

_Katashi's life blinked out._

"_Humans," it scoffed. "So easily broken. Although I will admit, you put up a better fight than most."_

_The shattered body fell to the ground._

_Dead._

…

The storm roared. Ichigo reached out to the boy, managing to grab his arm.

…

_A desperate face. A pale hand reached out. "I will never leave you, little brother. I promise on my heart!"_

…

"Toshiro!" Ichigo shouted. He pulled the young captain closer, using his own body to block the storm. "Toshiro, calm down!"

…

_Why, Katashi? Why?_

…

The rain was freezing. Ichigo stayed strong.

…

_Why did you protect me?_

…

"Can you hear me?" Ichigo demanded, raising his voice over the storm.

…

_Why were your last words said to defend me?_

…

"Wake up!"

…

_Why…_

…

"Toshiro!

…

…_do you keep leaving me…_

…

Arms wrapped tighter.

…

…_alone?_

…

"I'm right here," Ichigo said. "Now snap out of it!"

Two teal eyes shot open. The wind died until the hurricane was reduced to a mere rainstorm. Ichigo sighed in relief.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

Toshiro couldn't answer. Ichigo, concerned by the lack of a snappy remark, shook the boy's shoulders. His stare remained blank.

"Alright," Ichigo sighed. "I'd say it's safe to say you've burnt out."

The rain only attributed to his metaphor.

Ichigo picked up his cell phone while trying to shield it from the rain. He watched Toshiro carefully as he made the call. "Captain Ukitake? Yeah, this is Ichigo. I found Toshiro….Yes, that storm was him. Do you mind if…?"

The words were lost to Toshiro. He remained completely inactive. His only response was to blink as Ichigo hefted him off the ground.

"Yeah, you're totally out of it," Ichigo confirmed. He began his long march through the rain. "Come on, Toshiro, we're going to go back to my place."

…

**Sorry for the momentary OOC-ness. It will soon be amended, I swear. This was more of a connection to something Ulquiorra noticed earlier, about how the dreams/memories caused personality lapses.**

**Thanks: ****-SoManyUpsAndDowns-****, ****Windschatten69****, ****Hatsune-chan****, ****fan girl 666****, and ****rachel-angelhero****.**


	14. How A Heart Breaks

**14**

**How A Heart Breaks**

…

Karin, to say the least, was very confused when her brother walked into the house, soaking wet, with an equally drenched Toshiro slung over his shoulder.

"Toshiro!" Karin shouted. "What happened?"

Ichigo's frown deepened, not in anger this time, but in sadness. He dropped the boy on the couch. Then, he grabbed Karin's shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes. "Karin, we're going to have to be very…_careful_ about Toshiro for a while. He's very unstable at the moment."

"Unstable?"she repeated.

Ichigo sucked in a deep breath. "He's been overly stressed lately and…and his brother was just killed. He snapped."

"So that storm…" Karin trailed, glancing over toward their Shinigami friend.

"Unfortunately," Ichigo confirmed. "His reiatsu caused it, but he released so much that he passed out before we got back. Captain Ukitake, the one who was taking care of him, said that might happen. Toshiro hadn't been sleeping much and he's already collapsed several times. I offered to keep him overnight because Ukitake is sick and…and because his older brother asked me to before he died. I'm sure dad will be fine with it."

"Dad's not here," Karin informed. "He said he had to leave right away on a business trip. Yuzu is at a friend's house."

"Even better," Ichigo sighed.

"Ichigo?" Karin asked. "Is Toshiro going to be okay?"

"I—"

He was cut off by the doorbell. With a faint curse, Ichigo ran over to open it. He jolted upon seeing Ukitake.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" the carrot-top inquired.

The man gave one of his signature gentle smiles. "Ah, but how could I rest until I knew that little Shiro was alright?"

Ichigo nodded toward the couch. "Well, there he is. Out cold."

"Interesting choice of words," Ukitake teased. "I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time."

"No, only Karin and I are here," the teen answered. "Actually, Captain Ukitake, I wanted to talk to you about something."

The man's face suddenly became grave. "Ah."

Karin watched as the two shuffled off toward the kitchen.

"Karin," Ichigo called. "Keep an eye on Toshiro for me, would you? Tell us if he wakes up."

"Okay," Karin agreed, watching as her brother vanished.

In the secluded area, Ichigo offered Ukitake a seat before taking one himself.

"Are you sure you made the right choice?" Ichigo asked.

"No," Ukitake responded, "but the other option may have been even worse for Toshiro. I am well aware that you do not agree with my methods."

"I'm only saying that it feels wrong to replace Toshiro's memory," Ichigo said. "Why let him think he killed Ulquiorra?"

"For closure," Ukitake answered. "Ichigo, you haven't known Toshiro as long as I have. While this memory may have hurt him, it will be better in the long run. With Katashi having eliminated himself, it is unsure whether or not he will arrive in Soul Society as planned. This way, there can be justification behind the actions and Toshiro can know that Katashi _wanted_ this and that doing so would help him. There will be hope, even if it could prove to be false. Also, Toshiro will continue to be considered loyal to Soul Society."

"Do you think he would have felt guilty?" the Substitute Shinigami questioned.

"To know the truth?" the captain assumed. "Yes."

Ichigo held his head in his hands. "I still can't believe this is happening."

"Katashi only wanted the best for Toshiro," Ukitake answered.

"He didn't have to kill himself!" Ichigo exclaimed.

Ukitake looked away from the teen. "It is regrettable. I have already told you that Soul Society was planning on purifying Katashi in any case, but I agree that his actions may have been rash. He understood what Toshiro would lose by protecting him and how conflicted the issue had his younger brother. To him, this seemed the only logical answer. He must have been planning it ever since he heard the news. When revisions to the plan were turned down, he found Toshiro being asleep the perfect time to take action. I don't think he realized the guilt it would have caused Toshiro to know his older brother died for him again."

Ichigo's eyes drifted to the table. He understood. After all, how long did he blame himself for his mother's death? Still, he didn't see how implanting the memory of Toshiro killing the older himself while the boy was actually sleeping innocently was much better.

"He's never going to forgive himself either way," Ichigo mumbled.

"Give him time," Ukitake advised. "It will be for the better. After all, it's not the first time I've had to do this."

"Ulquiorra used to say that there were some things better left forgotten," Ichigo mentioned.

Ukitake's features softened in remembrance. "Yes, I can think of one instance in particular."

"He said it would have probably broken Toshiro," Ichigo answered. He almost winced at the intensity Ukitake's kind brown eyes gained.

"The memory of Katashi's initial death is a punishment that boy could never deserve."

…

Her hand gripped the doorknob tightly. Any more force and she would break it: a feat she knew would be entirely possible in her actual form. Inside her ribcage, her heart was trying to imitate one of those weird devices that those humans called "stereos." It was loud, turned up to the highest level, and emitted a frantic beat. Her chest became the walls that the "music" bounced off of, occasionally shaking everything else in the process.

But a stereo was only machinery and could not feel hurt.

Ichigo had _lied_ to her. She kept telling herself that he probably didn't know, that he would never do this, but then she saw the pained expressions on his face again. Maybe he'd thought she was better off not knowing. Her death would be swift, unexpected, and painless. She wondered vaguely if Ulquiorra's death had been painless. She'd felt his reiatsu fluctuate, tremble with momentary conflict, and then vanish instantly. She'd also felt a Shinigami in that area. Then, just a little while ago, Urahara had come to warn her of the plan and offer her an escape. He told her that Ulquiorra had been killed.

She had to grow up, she told herself. Jerking the door open, she slid out. Pesche and Dondochakka followed closely. She had to look after them. After all, she owed them for taking care of her for so long. That was what friends did.

The night was warm. The air was sweet. The rain had left everything clean. So perfect, yet so contrastingly horrible. It should have been pouring like it had mere hours ago, even if that would make travel harder. Apparently, it was not her turn to receive the sky's tears for her sadness. She wondered whose turn it had been; who cried in rhythm with the falling water droplets.

"Where are we going to go, Nel?" Pesche whispered.

"Urahara said to get as far away as possible," she answered, "while it's still dark out."

"Aren't the other Arrancar out there somewhere?" Dondochakka questioned.

"They must be miles ahead of us," she reasoned. "There's a slim chance we will encounter them, not that we need their support. We'll do just fine on our own."

Pesche and Dondochakka exchanged a look. Nel was hurt. It was obvious enough by the steel in her eyes. She was relying on her old self. She could be ready for battle in a split second, if the need came. She did this so that she wouldn't cry. She couldn't afford to be a child now.

_It's time to grow up, Nel._

They became little more than shadows. At this hour, they would remain unseen. Soon enough, they were at the edge of town. They stuck to the side of a long road, where the trees grew thick enough to hide them. No one spoke.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" a taunting voice sang.

Out of instinct, Nel's foot flew out to kick her attacker in the face. He dodged. During the swift movement, she caught a flash of purple hair.

"Oh, relax," Kaeliel said, making himself fully visible. "It ain't my job to babysit you anymore, brat. Hey, guys, she's over here!"

"Nel!" two voices squealed.

She was about ready to throttle the two darting figures who tugged on her arms playfully. It was only when she saw the smiling, innocent faces that her muscles relaxed to some degree. Still, she kept herself defensively in front of Pesche and Dondochakka.

"Kaeliel, it does not help for you to antagonize her or her accomplices," Grimmjow's even voice remarked. A tanned arm reached out of the shadows to push Kaeliel back. The blue-haired man stepped out. "Hello, Nel."

"Grimmjow," Nel said, facial features tightening. "What do you want?"

"They told you of the Shinigami's plan to eliminate us, right?" Grimmjow asked.

She nodded. "Yes."

"We have formed a sort of…renegade party in response to this," he replied. "Would you consider joining?"

"Please!" the twins begged.

"Why?" she inquired.

She thought she saw Grimmjow smirk for a second. "Some of us are in it for revenge, but the main reason would be to get what we came for. The Shinigami just need the right motivation. When they're at their weakest, we'll strike. We'll prove to them that they need our help as much as we would appreciate theirs."

"I don't care," she muttered. "Keep your stupid battle tactics. We're out of Hueco Mundo. The chaos isn't our problem. Shouldn't that be good enough? Why would you want to go back?"

"So you don't want to see your little Shinigami friends again?" Grimmjow asked.

Nel's fists clenched. "Ichigo lied to me."

"Eh, don't blame Mr. Orange Hair," Ira said.

"He didn't know," Ari finished.

Despite this, Nel protested, "I don't want to fight anymore, Grimmjow."

"Then you can do it for peace," he responded. "Besides, haven't you been getting hungry? It's only a matter of time before your Hollow appetite catches up to you, especially now that Urahara can't slip you those little reishi-packed tablets anymore. You'll have to go back to Hueco Mundo. So, do you want to get back to complete chaos and the threat of another Aizen taking over?"

She bit her lip. "Fine. I'll help you. Pesche, Dondochakka, you can do as you wish. But Grimmjow, just let me ask you one question."

He nodded. "Shoot."

She reached out and grabbed his left arm, stroking the skin where it should have been bone. "Why are _you _doing this?"

"Hueco Mundo is our home," he stated. "I don't want to see it fall to another Aizen. Yet, at the same time, Hueco Mundo is a cage. It would be nice to have the door opened every now and then."

Nel's grey-green eyes blinked at him in surprise. For a second, she simply stared him down, their gazes interlocking. Somewhere, buried deep under that cold blue, she could see the old Grimmjow fighting to get out. She tightened her grip on his arm.

"Okay."

…

She didn't want to do this.

Matsumoto took a deep breath and knocked on the door in front of her. Orihime opened it, cheery smile perfectly in place.

"Rangiku, what brings you out this late? Come in!"

The younger girl hadn't become worried until she saw that Matsumoto wasn't smiling.

"Orihime," Matsumoto said, "I…have some bad news. You might want to sit down for this."

She _really_ didn't want to do this.

…

Their whole living room had turned into one big sleepover.

Really, Ichigo thought, what did he expect? His eyes scanned over the room's odd assortment of occupants. It was a good thing his Dad wasn't home. He wasn't sure whether that would lead to trouble…or relentless teasing.

Toshiro had not been moved from the couch. The only changes were the towels under him to stop from ruining the furniture and the light blanket thrown over his body. He was mostly dry now, but they couldn't help anymore until he woke up.

Yuzu had come home awhile ago. When she caught sight of their unconscious houseguest, there was explaining to be done. Karin had helped by adding that he was one of her friends who couldn't really go home at the moment. Yuzu bought into their little bit, automatically assuming there was a sob story attached—which there actually was for once. Being the big, responsible brother he was, Ichigo had tucked her and Karin in.

This lasted maybe an hour.

_Soft footsteps padded down the stairs. Ichigo looked up blearily from watching Toshiro to the sight of his black-haired sister appearing out of the shadows. She sat silently by the foot of the armchair._

"_Couldn't sleep?" Ichigo asked._

_She shook her head. "How's Toshiro doing?"_

"_Hasn't even moved," Ichigo answered. "I had to check his pulse."_

_Karin yawned and rested her head against Ichigo's legs. Her eyes closed half-way._

"_I thought you couldn't sleep?" he teased._

_She glared weakly at him._

"_You should go back to bed," Ichigo insisted._

"_No," she refused. "I'm staying…right…here."_

_Ichigo chuckled at her persistence. "I'll be right back."_

_Karin watched her friend's sleeping form while her brother disappeared up the stairs. He was disturbingly peaceful. Yet, she knew from the storm that, mere hours ago, he'd been a mess of inner turmoil. Her eyes began to close again. She was about to drift off when something soft was thrown at her head. She found herself holding her sleeping bag and pillow._

"_I know you're not going to move," Ichigo said, falling back onto the armchair again, "so at least make yourself comfortable."_

_She scowled at him, but he knew the action was appreciated nonetheless. She settled down in her spot and promptly fell asleep. Ichigo smiled and ruffled her hair._

_Not ten minutes later, he was alerted to Yuzu's awakening. She appeared at the top of the stairs, asking Ichigo why Karin was down there._

"_She was worried," Ichigo answered, "but if she heard that I told you that, she'd kick my butt."_

"_Oh," Yuzu said._

"_You can come down, too, if you want," he offered._

And that was how he ended up with the sleeping twins by his feet.

Toshiro still hadn't moved.

"That kid must have really been drained," Ichigo whispered to himself. He leaned back in the chair, eyes beginning to close. "Speaking of drained…"

Darkness closed in on him.

…

Matsumoto sighed, holding the young girl close to her on the floor. Orihime was still sobbing.

"H-How can Ulquiorra be dead?" she cried. "H-How…?"

Hours had passed and she was still in denial. Matsumoto didn't think she would ever get Orihime's expression when the news was delivered out of her head. It was like she just…died. The light in her eyes flickered off, her facial features falling into perfect shock. Then came the denial. It was well past midnight and Matsumoto was still here with her. She couldn't leave the girl alone, not after that.

The older woman remembered all the pain she went through with Gin. However, she reminded herself, he was still alive. Both of those men had caused pain in their lives, but they'd also brought on some degree of happiness. In Soul Society, Matsumoto had been working tirelessly to help Gin see the light again. She wanted him back on her side. She wanted to have her childhood friend back. Orihime had tried over and over again to help Ulquiorra find his heart. It was obvious to everyone that the two had grown into friends.

And now he was dead.

And Gin was still incarcerated.

"Thank you," Orihime sniffled, "for staying with me, Rangiku."

"Of course," Matsumoto replied.

"I-I feel so bad for c-crying all over you like this," the girl chuckled humorlessly. "U-Ulqui-Ulquiorra taught me to be stronger. Why can't I be stronger now?"

"Because your heart is broken," Matsumoto whispered. "I'm sure he couldn't blame you for that. After all, you made him find _his_ heart again. I bet he would've understood and it's not like there's anything wrong with crying. Cry all you want, Orihime."

At this, the girl began shaking again.

"All I can remember," she whispered, "is the way he smiled the other day. I'd never seen him smile like that before. I-It made me so happy."

"I think that's how he wanted you to remember him," Matsumoto said. "Ulquiorra knew he was going to die for a long time. Maybe he wanted to remember you smiling, too."

"No," she said, shaking her head and letting out that sad laugh again. "Ulquiorra's never seemed to care about that."

Matsumoto touched the girl's face gently. "I think he was just too stubborn to admit it."

Orihime smiled, tears falling heavily down her face still. "I wish that could be true. Do you think I'll ever see him again? In Soul Society?"

"With reiatsu like that, he'll probably end up at the Shinigami Academy before long," Matsumoto answered. "If he's anything like Captain, we'll have to drag him out of Rukongai, too. I think I'll leave that to you this time. I've already had enough of arguing with the Hitsugayas."

"But he won't remember me," Orihime sighed.

Matsumoto hugged her in comfort. "Who knows? I think you'd be a rather hard person to forget."

"But what if remembering…makes him sad?"

"Orihime," Matsumoto said, "you could never make anyone sad."

Orihime hugged the woman harder. "Thank you."

…

**Speaking of 'thank you's, thanks to: ****-SoManyUpsAndDowns-****, ****Windschatten69****, ****Hatsune-chan****, ****fan girl 666****, and ****justjoy****. You guys are awesome!**

**And as a side note: I just read Bleach chapter #423. I am now speechless.**


	15. Conversations

**15**

**Conversations**

…

The night stretched on forever. Ichigo found himself waking up again, this time to a strange feeling welling up in his chest. He opened his eyes in time to see Toshiro stirring. The feeling, he realized, must have been the boy's reiatsu.

Toshiro sat up in a daze. He looked around him. "Where…?"

Ichigo grabbed the glass of water he'd left on the side table. He put it in front of Toshiro. "Thirsty?"

"Kurosaki?" Toshiro asked.

Ichigo laughed quietly and motioned to the floor. "Yeah, which one?"

The boy cringed. "Why?"

"You scared the life out of everyone with that little stunt," Ichigo informed. "We were all worried sick."

"I apologize for earlier," Toshiro said. "I don't know what came over me."

"Don't worry about it," Ichigo said. "I doubt your brain could take any more stress."

"What time is it?" the small captain wondered.

"About four in the morning. You've been out since yesterday." Ichigo watched the boy carefully. "Come on. Let's go into the kitchen so that we don't wake them up. Maybe not Yuzu, but Karin would be ready to _kill_ the first person to interrupt her sleep."

Toshiro nodded and followed the older boy out of the room. Once they were safely out of the danger zone, Ichigo asked, "Want anything to eat?"

Toshiro shook his head, eyes fixed on the floor.

"Yeah, thought not," Ichigo mumbled. He took a seat at the table, motioning Toshiro to do the same. "You want to talk about it?"

"There's nothing to say," Toshiro grumbled. "After all, this is the way it's supposed to be, right? Shinigami slay Hollows and purify their souls so that they can go to Soul Society. To think otherwise is to be naïve."

"I don't know," Ichigo said. "Is it always the right way?"

"What do you mean?" Toshiro asked.

Ichigo shrugged. "The Vizards never get crap for it. They're part Hollow."

"But they're still mostly Shinigami," Toshiro defended.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Eh, not always. We have to fight back the Hollow side."

"So what does this have to do with the Arrancar?"

"They're like the Vizards; walking on the line." Ichigo scratched his head. "Yeah, I guess it's probably less preferable to being a full Shinigami or a pure soul where you don't have to fight off some insane monster inside you, but it's not like they can help it. All things considered, they've been pretty tame."

Toshiro furrowed his brow. "Your logic is severely twisted."

"Is not!" Ichigo protested. "I'm just speaking from another perspective."

"So the message you're trying to get across," Toshiro concluded, "is that not everything is black and white. That the Vizards are a light gray and the Arrancar are a darker shade?"

Ichigo scratched his head. "If you want to make an analogy, sure."

"And how does this help?"

"I just don't want you to end up remembering Ulquiorra as bad because he was part Hollow," Ichigo responded.

"I don't think I could," Toshiro replied. "After all, he recognized that staying a Hollow could become a danger and allowed himself to be purified instead of running. His decisions were what made him a good person."

Ichigo's eyes softened at this speech. It was one of the few times he'd heard Toshiro speak from his heart. "You know," the older boy said, "it was all for you. I don't think he ever cared what happened to him as long as you were safe."

"Why do you say that?" Toshiro inquired.

Ichigo chuckled. "Because he's never asked anything from me, but before he left, he said to look after you."

"So _that's_ why you bothered to—"

"I would have done it anyway," Ichigo assured, "but I thought you'd want to know that."

"I see," Toshiro mumbled.

Ichigo visibly cringed.

"What?" Toshiro demanded.

"For a second, you sounded just like him."

"Is that a bad thing?"

Ichigo bopped Toshiro on the head. "Hey, don't go pulling the emotionless zombie routine. It doesn't work for you."

Toshiro glared up at Ichigo, rubbing the spot Ichigo hit. "I would appreciate it if you held back on the physical abuse. Did you know it is a serious offense in Soul Society?"

For a second, Ichigo stared, as if not sure what to say. "Wait, was that supposed to be a joke?"

"I don't know, was it?"

"Alright," Ichigo said, "now I _know_ you're messing with me."

Toshiro shrugged his shoulders briefly. His eyes were distant.

"Hey, are you going to be okay?" Ichigo asked.

"Of course," Toshiro assured. His voice was flat. "Death is part of a Shinigami's job. If I couldn't stand it, then I should not be a Shinigami, much less a captain."

"Did you even want to be a Shinigami?" Ichigo wondered. "You looked pretty mad when you said that Karin would probably be forced into the Academy. Something about not wanting that to happen _again._"

The boy's muscles tensed. He pressed his lips together tightly. "It's none of your concern."

"Toshiro…"

"Captain Hitsugaya," he corrected.

"Fine, _Captain Hitsugaya,_" Ichigo said, "I think it is of my concern if Karin's going to turn all cold-hearted because of it."

"I doubt it," he answered, sounding troubled. "The circumstances are different and if forced into Soul Society, she would most likely attend by choice eventually, even if not forced."

"But you still want it to be a choice," Ichigo stated.

Toshiro nodded. "It's only fair."

"As opposed to…?"

Again, Toshiro refused to meet his eyes. "Can we please drop this subject matter now?"

"Okay," Ichigo sighed, leaning back in his chair. He wished Ulquiorra was here. He'd be able to crack this kid open in a second. Then again, if Ulquiorra was here, Ichigo wouldn't be in this situation in the first place.

Suddenly, a yawn escaped the orange-haired youth. He rubbed his eyes.

"Were you awake all night?" Toshiro wondered.

"No," Ichigo answered.

The young captain's fists clenched underneath the table. He knew Ichigo was lying. He'd bet anything that Ichigo had forced himself to stay awake in order to watch over Toshiro. In fact, he could perfectly envision the teen sitting right there on that armchair, maybe with a cup of something heavily caffeinated, coppery eyes bloodshot as he watched the sleeping forms around him, all the while playing back memories of recent events. He could see Karin coming downstairs, refusing to budge with every ounce of stubbornness she possessed. Was it because she thought of them as friends?

Friends.

He was beginning to understand that once you met a Kurosaki, you had no hope of escaping again. Together, they spun a web of amiability and protectiveness. They were warm-hearted, if not a little rough around the edges. Yet, it was almost like they were trying to pull him in, welcome him into that sticky web, even if he would not fit with his cold-hearted disposition in such heavy contrast to their warmth.

"Toshiro, you're kinda zoning out on me," Ichigo chuckled. "Don't tell me you're still tired?"

"Why are you being so kind to me?" the boy in question asked.

To Ichigo, the question seemed to come from out of the blue. However, he answered it in his typical fashion. "What? You want me to kick you when you're down?"

"I don't need the pity," Toshiro muttered.

Ichigo scoffed. "It's not pity. It's sympathy."

"Sympathy will never let one grow stronger from experiences such as this."

Ichigo's eye actually began to twitch. Dealing with this situation on as little sleep as he had was _not_ recommended. He shoved himself up from the table. Before Toshiro knew it, he was being hoisted out of the chair, Ichigo's hand firmly on his shirt collar. His back hit the wall. Jarred, Toshiro now gave his full attention to Ichigo as he began on a rampage.

"Is that what you think?" Ichigo demanded. "Well, I'm sorry to offend you by making you _weak. _That's what you'll become if I say that I understand the pain, right? Because you'd rather put back the pieces yourself, so that it will make you _stronger._ And you called my logic twisted. I thought you would realize by now that pushing everyone away will only make you break more. You just cover it up behind that cold expression, but I'm not the only one who can see past that. My question is: how much longer will it be before you've shattered?"

Toshiro watched in wide-eyed shock. "I—"

"It's not just you, either," Ichigo interrupted. His grip loosened. "You hurt everyone around you, too. We want to help and you won't let us. You make us _watch_ as you tear yourself apart. Do you want to end up like…"

Ichigo didn't finish, but Toshiro knew perfectly well what he was about to say. "Like Katashi? Or rather, Ulquiorra? Completely empty?"

Their eyes locked steadily.

"Stop trying to take his place, Kurosaki," Toshiro reprimanded. He shoved Ichigo away from him. "I don't need you to protect me and I don't need you to fill the spot he left behind."

"I'm not!" Ichigo defended. "What I'm doing is trying to make sure you don't destroy yourself."

"I am perfectly capable of—"

"Then what did you call that stunt on the overlook?" Ichigo's arms flailed wildly.

"An error."

His cool, calm demeanor made Ichigo want to punch him. "Just admit it: everything became too much to handle and you lost it."

"I don't need to stand here and let you ridicule me," Toshiro snapped. "Whatever Katashi said, ignore it, because I am personally ordering you to stay away from me."

"You'd rather run than face up to your own faults?" Ichigo accused.

"I am leaving," Toshiro stated. His voice alone was cold enough to recreate the Ice Age. The leaking reiatsu was only going to speed that process up.

"To some lonely corner where you're going to try to pull yourself back together again?" Ichigo raged.

"Sh-shut up!" Toshiro shouted.

"Hey, you were the one who told me to take my sympathy and shove it," Ichigo answered. "Is this going to make you stronger?"

Hot reiatsu flared, catching their attention. It was accompanied by Karin's cry of "That's enough!" as she stormed into the kitchen. Her fist lodged itself in Toshiro's cheek seconds before her foot found Ichigo's stomach. Both males fell to the floor in the unexpected attack. Karin stood over them, steaming, with her fists clenched so tight that it was a wonder her palms weren't bleeding. "You two are such idiots!"

"Karin?" Ichigo gasped, clutching his stomach. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"With all of this noise?" she bit back. "Plus, the reiatsu pouring out of this room is so crazy that I'm shocked we haven't been attacked by a Hollow yet."

"I would be surprised if Ukitake didn't place a kido barrier around this place," Toshiro answered in monotone.

"And you!" Karin continued, staring the white-haired boy down. "Can you imagine what it was like when I saw Ichigo drag _your_ body in out of the storm that _your_ reiatsu created? Then, I wake up and you two are ready to go for each other's necks."

The heat in the room was actually causing Toshiro to sweat. "Karin…"

"I hate you!" she screamed. "If something is wrong, you don't let it boil until you explode!"

"If I was following your example, though, Tenth Division would be notorious for its high rate of deaf Shinigami," Toshiro quipped flatly.

"This isn't funny!" she growled.

"I wasn't joking," he answered. His reiatsu elevated to rival hers. The epic battle of fire and ice.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "Because it feels like everything is a joke to you, even friendship."

Toshiro blinked at that. The overuse of reiatsu finally got to Karin and she collapsed to her knees in front of him, still refusing to cry or back down.

Now eye level with the two, she said, "You're the coldest person I've ever met. Does that make you happy?"

"You need to lower your reiatsu before you exhaust yourself," Toshiro advised.

"I don't care," she mumbled, eyes already half-lidded. "Answer my question."

"Karin," Ichigo scolded in his soft older brother tone.

"Answer it!"

"I can't," Toshiro responded.

"Why?"

"Because that's all I've ever been."

She chuckled, a faint sound. "So…you're a liar, too."

"Karin…?"

A delirious smile was perched on her face. "It's freezing in here."

Ichigo finally managed to get over to his sister's side, holding her upright.

"Ne, Toshiro?" she asked. The smile didn't leave. "What do you do…when someone is hiding something from you and…even when you know that something is wrong, they still won't tell you?"

He made full eye contact at the familiar question. "I don't know."

"I didn't think so," she said. "When you find out, tell me."

Ichigo lifted her into his arms after this. He placed her under the cover of her sleeping bag. She was already unconscious. He turned back to the door. Toshiro was standing with one hand on the frame, his eyes fixed to the girl who was able to make him question his own ways and look for a new solution.

"If you're leaving," Ichigo said, "then go already. No one's stopping you."

Toshiro hesitated.

"But," Ichigo continued, "if you're going to stay, then you'd better start looking for those answers."

Toshiro hung his head. "I was told that if I didn't go to the Academy, I would eventually kill those around me with my reiatsu."

"What?" Ichigo inquired.

"Earlier," Toshiro replied, "you asked me if I ever chose to be a Shinigami. That is your answer."

"Oh," Ichigo muttered. "You know, I won't tell anyone."

"That was never the problem."

The problem was that he'd never learned to open up. He would have to start now, however, if he ever wanted to answer the question Karin had asked him. Maybe letting go of this one mirror fragment of his past would not cut deep into his flesh with its edge, but instead stop him from seeing that pained person in his reflection.

He thought over Karin's words again. She'd asked what to do when someone when someone hid something from you. Yet, he heard the underlying message.

_How are you going to stop yourself from hiding?_

…

**Thank you: ****-SoManyUpsAndDowns-****, ****Windschatten69****, ****fan girl 666****, and ****Saki Mamoutu****.**


	16. Cover and Uncover

**16**

**Cover and Uncover**

…

"Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya, you have let all of the Arrancar escape," Yamamoto reprimanded.

"I apologize, Head Captain," Toshiro replied. There was no life to his voice.

"I am placing you under orders to capture them and purify their souls," Yamamoto said.

"I understand, Head Captain." No life at all.

"Also, I have received the report that Ulquiorra Schiffer has been taken care of."

Toshiro's hands twitched. "Yes, Head Captain. I did so myself."

"We will be on the lookout for him in Soul Society," the old man informed. The edges of his face softened the slightest amount. "Report back in three days or when you have disposed of the other Arrancar."

"I will, Head Captain."

"Also, Lieutenant Momo Hinamori wishes to speak with you."

Toshiro kept a straight face. "Of course."

Yamamoto moved out of the screen, revealing the girl's small form. She didn't smile, knowing this was not the right place and time for it.

"Shiro," she said, "you did the right thing."

"I know."

She winced at the emptiness he held around him like a shroud. So dark…

"I'm still here," she assured. "Remember, Toshiro? I'm still your sister."

"No, Hinamori," he answered. "You are _like_ a sister to me."

Her mouth fell open slightly, big brown eyes widening. "Shiro…"

He turned his face away from her. She should know the difference. She should understand that, while she had always been there for him and while he held her as close as he did family, this had hurt him badly.

She set her features into a stern expression. "Katashi was there for seven years of your life. Seven years you haven't remembered until now. I've been there for many times that. Does that make any difference to you?"

"Have you ever considered that only remembering _now_ makes it worse?" Toshiro rebuked. "Finally discovering what those dreams were about all this time? Hinamori, it's only been a month. One month since I uncovered that I even had a brother and now he's dead. He's dead because I killed him. All of you keep saying that it's alright because I did the right thing and he will be a peace in Soul Society. Yes, I understand that, but I'm not naïve. I know that he will not remember."

"You remembered."

Toshiro was about to answer, but she cut off communications. He hung his head. It wasn't enough for him to lose Katashi, but now he had to push Momo away as well? What was wrong with him? He must be a masochist. Or a sadist. Perhaps some twisted combination of the two.

Toshiro fled the room and bounded across the city. He only hesitated upon passing the Kurosaki house. Then he kept going. Reiatsu buzzed all around him, but none of it was important. None of it was the reiatsu he wanted to feel.

The reiatsu he might never feel again.

…

"Tell him, Ukitake," Ichigo demanded. "Tell Toshiro that Ulquiorra killed himself."

Ukitake shook his head. "Toshiro knows. We've never faced this situation before. If an Arrancar kills itself with its own blade, there's no guarantee it's going to Soul Society. At least this way, there's hope."

"D—nit, Ukitake!" Ichigo roared, slamming his fist into the table. "If you don't tell him, I will."

"You're not thinking rationally."

"If Ulquiorra wanted Toshiro to kill him, he would have made it happen," Ichigo protested.

Ukitake shook his head. "Toshiro wouldn't have done it."

Ichigo thrust the note Ulquiorra entrusted to him at Ukitake. "Did you read this?"

"No, I—"

"Read it."

"Ichigo…"

"Read. It."

Reluctantly, Ukitake did so. His expression didn't change. "Katashi already told me as much."

"And that didn't strike you as alarming?" Ichigo snapped. "Unless…you knew he was going to kill himself." Shock registered on Ichigo's face. "You knew and you didn't do anything about it."

"I tried," Ukitake defended. "Several times, in fact. If you knew Katashi like I do, though, you would also know that there's no changing his mind once it is set on something. When I found him in that street, blade in hand, he…"

Ukitake winced.

_He arrived there just in time. Ulquiorra stood there solemnly. His gigai was thrown off to the side. Murcielago was pointed at his chest._

"_Katashi, don't do this."_

_Ulquiorra shifted his eyes toward the man. "I have to," he said. "If I don't, Toshiro is likely to act unreasonably. He will lose everything he has ever worked for. I cannot let him do that on my behalf."_

"_You are going to hurt him."_

"_At first," Ulquiorra agreed. "Over time, it will lessen."_

"_Katashi…" Ukitake warned._

"_I am in his past and not meant to interfere," Ulquiorra explained. "His life is in Soul Society now. Take care of him."_

"_No," Ukitake refused. He flash-stepped to Ulquiorra's side, grabbing the sword hilt, preventing Ulquiorra from stabbing himself. "_You_ are going to be there to help take care of him."_

_Ukitake was stunned by what Ulquiorra did next. A slight smile rose to his pale face, something pained and tragic. He chuckled deeply, darkly. Heart-wrenchingly. "Look out for me in Soul Society, will you?"_

_Then there was a flash. Ukitake was thrown by a minor cero. He skidded to a stop on the pavement, back hitting a wall. His eyes shot open. The flash was gone._

_And so was Katashi Hitsugaya._

"It would have been impossible for him to have erased his reiatsu like that," Ukitake explained. "Not without his gigai. I had to accept that he was truly gone."

"Then look for him."

Ukitake blinked at Ichigo's tone.

The orange-haired teen continued. "I can take care of Toshiro. That was Ulquiorra's final request for me. Go back to Soul Society and look for Ulquiorra like he asked of you."

"I have to stay here," Ukitake protested. "It's orders."

"Then pretend you're sick," Ichigo said. "They will have to let you return then."

"Fake illness?"

"I hate to point this out, but you are ill. It's not that far of a stretch."

Ukitake's eyes focused on the floor. "You are right. I will go back to Soul Society to look for Katashi."

Ichigo nodded.

"You should return now," Ukitake continued. "Toshiro needs you."

…

Ichigo closed his eyes. He was horrible at tracking reiatsu. This much was obvious. But he was growing accustomed to the reiatsu of those closest to him. Karin he could feel the easiest. It took him seconds. Toshiro's took much more effort, but was still traceable. Ichigo took off in that direction.

At the end of the trail, he found the young boy on a rooftop. Ichigo sighed at the captain's antics. He apparently had an affinity for heights. Luckily, he was in Shinigami form or else he would attract attention to himself. It wasn't everyday an average human saw a white-haired child sleeping on a rooftop.

Also, the teen realized, this was potentially dangerous. Toshiro shifted in his sleep. One wrong move and he could fall off. Kneeling down, Ichigo checked Toshiro's expression. A twitching scowl was there. If Ichigo had learned anything, he knew that the expression meant the boy was dreaming about something. _But what is he dreaming about?_ Ichigo wondered. _Another memory?_

…

_Teal eyes opened to the world. It was so bright and confusing. Sound flowed from every direction, swirling around him into a whirlpool. He sat up and rubbed his throbbing head, ruffling snowy white hair as he did so. This place…he did not recognize it. He gazed at its residents. They immediately looked away, scurrying off. What reason did they have to treat him like a plague?_

_This behavior continued as he pushed through the conglomeration of run-down flats. This was only interrupted by something hard barreling into his head. He soon discovered this object to be a rock. Children scuffled out of sight._

_The figure paused in realizing that a small line of blood was trickling down from his temple. No one seemed to care and, for some reason, neither did he. A sharp sting greeted his repetitive touch. To add to this, his hunger was clawing at him from the inside out and the thirst became raw. He continued to walk in search of nourishment, but found himself turned away at every corner. He fell to the ground in a heap. What was this torture?_

"_Oh my," a feminine voice said._

_He cracked one eye open. An old woman stood over him. She appeared genuinely concerned._

"_Poor dear," she continued. "It is so cruel of them to treat people such as you in that manner. Why don't you come back with me and we can get you something to eat or drink?"_

"_That is a very generous offer," he stated, words blurred in his state. "Why be so kind to a stranger?"_

"_You remind me of someone that I care for very much," she answered._

_He nodded, satisfied with this answer. It took a great amount of effort to stand. She had to support him as they walked the short distance to her house. "Why do they avoid me? I am not aware of having committed any crime."_

"_They shun you for the same reason that they shunned my grandson," she replied. "You both have white hair."_

White hair_, he thought to himself. That was not normal. She handed him a cup of water as he pondered over this. Looking into the liquid's depths, he could see his reflection staring back at him. Indeed, snowy locks and blue-green irises stared unnervingly back, set into hard features._

"_May I ask," she began, "what your name is?"_

_He paused and looked at his face again. "My name is…Katashi Hitsugaya."_

…

**Thank you: ****fight4love****, ****-SoManyUpsAndDowns-****, ****mika****, ****Windschatten69****, ****fan girl 666****, and ****Rachel-angelhero****.**

**Also, the companion piece to this, **_**First Strike,**_** gives a tiny bit of insight as to why Toshiro sleeps on roof-tops.**


	17. Unstable

**17**

**Unstable**

…

Toshiro woke up. The first thing his eyes met was the ceiling. Hadn't he fallen asleep on the roof? The sun peaking through the window told him that it was morning. He stood up from the futon, confused, until something smacked him in the back of the head.

Blinking, Toshiro bent down to pick up the soccer ball. He turned to the door. Karin leaned against the frame, glaring at him. Instead of pushing the matter, she turned and stalked away. As she left, she called, "Ichigo's downstairs. You might want to go thank him."

Vaguely wondering what he did to irritate her so much this time, Toshiro stepped down the stairs slowly, as if he didn't trust them to not fall out from beneath his feet. He saw Ichigo sitting on the couch, the TV on. He glanced down at his feet.

"Thank you," he mumbled.

"What happened?" Ichigo asked.

Toshiro simply stared at the floor. He continued to do so even when another pair of feet entered his line of sight. He felt Ichigo's hand on his shoulder.

"Toshiro…"

"I…said some very cruel things to Hinamori," he admitted. "She was trying to be kind and I threw her words back at her."

"We really have to work on that with you, don't we?" Ichigo chuckled. His voice was little more than a whisper.

Toshiro nodded, not really paying attention. His conversation with Hinamori, his childhood friend, played again in his mind. To block it, he replaced it with his dream from last night. His brow furrowed at the strange visions. Although, he realized, Katashi had told the truth about one thing. It was not a memory and it was not the nightmare he'd become so accustomed to over the last few days. They had stopped, just as Katashi had promised. It only took his brother's death to do that.

Toshiro shook Ichigo off. He walked toward the door.

"Ne, Toshiro?"

"I need to speak with Captain Ukitake," the boy answered.

"He left for Soul Society last night," Ichigo informed. "He's going to look for Ulquiorra."

Toshiro took out his phone. His fingers stumbled slightly over the keys. Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"Hello, Captain Ukitake?" Toshiro said.

"Toshiro!" Ukitake exclaimed on the other end. "Is something the matter?"

"I need to discuss a theory with you."

Ukitake seemed hesitant. "If this has to do with Katashi…"

"It does."

"I'm looking for him as we speak," the elder said.

"Kurosaki told me as much, however, I was wondering if there might be a factor we didn't include."

"What's this all about?"

Even Ichigo seemed interested in what Toshiro had to say.

Toshiro prepared himself to explain. "Last night, I had a dream. Katashi was in Soul Society, but he didn't look quite like himself. Ukitake, what's the possibility that Katashi's hair could turn white like mine—or yours, for that matter?"

"That's a good point you have," Ukitake admitted. "Truthfully, I didn't think about that."

"What are the chances?"

"Now that you've brought it up? High."

Toshiro nodded. "Also, can you do me a favor and search around First District? The Captain Commander has me stationed in the Living World until all of the other Arrancar are taken care of, but…"

"I understand," Ukitake answered. Toshiro sensed that he was smiling. It was that sympathetic, somewhat sad smile that had been gracing his face a lot lately.

"Thank you," Toshiro said.

"You're welcome."

Hanging up, Toshiro massaged his forehead. For an instant, Ichigo saw the mirage of an old man cover the young body. A loose cloud of vapor. It was so fragile that the slightest wind swept it away. Ichigo's voice became that wind.

"If that's the case, it's going to be really easy to tell that you're related," Ichigo jibed. "How are you going to keep that one a secret from the rest of Soul Society?"

"They can tease all they want, but it can't be proved," Toshiro informed. "In any case, the memory loss that occurs upon entering and residing in Soul Society would allow us to continue acting as if we did not know each other, which might become true should Katashi's memories falter as they are supposed to. Also, even if the truth was exposed, it would not be as incriminating seeing as Katashi would no longer be an Arrancar."

"Ah, speaking of which…" Ichigo motioned his head off to the back right. "There's a box for you in the kitchen. Ukitake left it."

Toshiro looked curious. At this, Ichigo seemed sad.

"I'll be upstairs," he said.

Ichigo knew full-well what it was. He just couldn't bring himself to say it. This was a moment Toshiro would need alone.

The orange-haired boy disappeared. At his suggestion, Toshiro searched for the box. It was sitting on the table ever so innocently. He crept up to it and pried open the lid. Immediately, he wanted to slam it shut again.

The box wasn't very large and it wasn't very full. Yet, its contents were overpowering. Toshiro looked down into the box of Katashi's old possessions, however scarce they were. Yet, Toshiro could tell that it was everything his older brother had owned. The monotone mass at the bottom were clothes, not that they would fit Toshiro. He wondered why they'd been included, but then let the thought slip his mind at the two items on top.

Photographs. Framed. Toshiro nearly choked. The first was the oldest. In it, he and Katashi were young and happy and _human._ They had been so much alike with their black hair and teal eyes, their skinny and short-statured bodies. It was a copy of the one Toshiro had seen in their file. The second picture was recent. He remembered this being the one Urahara had snapped secretly a month ago. The two of them had their arms wrapped around each other in goodbye.

Toshiro closed the box, placing his head on the top. Hinamori was right: he had only been reunited with Katashi for a month. Still, why did this hurt so badly? It was always painful to lose people. This was a fact of life he could not deny. He was also aware that had Hinamori or Granny died, it would feel like a sword through his heart. He'd sworn to himself to always be in control, though. The incident on the overlook…that showed no traces of there being any sort of control. He'd simply lost it.

Straightening up, Toshiro composed his face. Control. That's what he needed. His lips became a firm line. His eyes became cold and hard, ill fitting on such a young face. It was a mask he'd used many times before. He clung to it now. Clung to it desperately. He wouldn't lose himself again. He was a Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and it was time to start acting like it.

He placed the box on the floor in an out-of-the-way corner. He would ask Ichigo where to put it later. Once he was back in the safe confines of Tenth Division, he could hide it in his room. Some deep, dark place where it could be out of sight and out of mind until he needed it again.

Somewhere he could throw all of the emotions that accompanied it as well.

Toshiro walked out of the kitchen. Although he'd just woken up, he wasn't hungry. What he really needed was to find Matsumoto. They had an Arrancar-hunt to plan. Ideally, they would convince the renegade group of a better life in Soul Society. As far as Toshiro Hitsugaya knew, though, they were still trapped in their gigai, so the fight would be quick were one to occur.

Then, once that was settled, he would be able to return to Soul Society. Ichigo and his friends would return with him as part of the relocation plan, if they were not moved sooner. With any luck, Katashi would be discovered quickly following these events. And if not…

If not, Toshiro would have to suck it up and move on.

_That_ was his job as a Shinigami.

He better d— well do it.

…

Matsumoto tapped her foot, shifting her weight restlessly. She knocked again on the door in front of her to make sure the occupants heard her.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!"

A smirk came to her lips. Ah, same old…

"Ichigo."

The teen that opened the door scratched the back of his head. "Rangiku? Ah, Toshiro's upstairs."

"Thank you," the lieutenant said. She walked in past Ichigo. Without comment, the substitute Shinigami began to guide her.

"He's been quiet for a really long time now," Ichigo remarked.

Matsumoto's eyes widened a bit. That wasn't a good sign. "How long?"

"Ever since he got that box from Ukitake. About three hours."

She urged him to pick up the pace.

"Rangiku, I know he's upset, but I think he'd be fine for—"

She pushed open the door frantically. Toshiro looked up from his spot on the floor of Ichigo's room. He had a map spread in front of him, points on it marked. Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"What are you doing?"

Toshiro went back to scribbling on the map. "Hello, Ichigo. Hello, Rangiku. I'm strategizing. These are the points the Arrancar will most likely be hiding in. I will be searching later today."

Rangiku approached her young captain carefully. "Captain…?" She placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Yes?"

She frowned. He'd called her by her first name. He wasn't shrugging off her touch. Also, he seemed…fine. Completely unaffected by everything that had happened.

She shook her head. "Never mind. So we'll be searching them out later today?"

"Wait, no!" Ichigo protested. "You're not seriously going to…"

"I am," Toshiro interrupted. "Their fate is in Soul Society. Once their souls are purified, they will be much more content. Seireitei will be holding patrols to look for the Arrancar after they enter as they may become valuable assets."

"But Nel..."

One cold look stopped Ichigo. Then Toshiro, without any infliction in his tone, ordered simply, "Deal with it."

Matsumoto stared at her captain long and hard. On the surface, he seemed fine, but it was all wrong. He'd abandoned himself to rules and regulations. Logic, it appeared, had taken over his life again. Somehow, she missed the irrationality.

"Captain Hitsugaya," she called.

He ignored her.

She puffed out her cheeks. "Toshiro Hitsugaya."

One eye twitched.

"You little brat, look at me!" she demanded. Her hands latched onto his shoulders and she shook him viciously. He slapped her hand away.

"Let go of me, woman!"

Ichigo and Rangiku gawked at him. Had he just called her…?

He folded up the map and stuffed it in his pocket. Glaring at her, he said, "I don't see what your problem is. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to be able to plan in peace. I will leave _alone_ in an hour. Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto, you are ordered to stay in Karakura. I do not care what you do, so long as it does not interfere with my mission or the division budget. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes, Captain," she stammered.

"Good."

He stalked out of the room, leaving a chill in his wake. As if frozen by it, the two lower-ranked Shinigami stood there in perfect, silent stillness.

Finally, Ichigo spoke.

"I think we've lost him."

…

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**HAPPY HALLOWEEN!**


	18. In Preparation

**18**

**In Preparation**

…

Grimmjow prowled the streets of Karakura. It was his self-appointed job to gather intel on what was going on. So far, all he'd learned was that the white-haired mini-captain had left to go scout the other Arrancar out. They would have to start switching locations on a regular basis now. A game of cat and mouse. Grimmjow felt his lips pulls downward in a small scowl. By nature, he was a cat. A cat should never become a mouse under any circumstances.

He was going to make sure all of Soul Society became nothing but mice. Big mice, maybe, but still only _mice_.

The thought brought about the subconscious rubbing of his left arm. Even in this gigai, it was like he could feel the bone claws. Scratches from his fingernails lingered on the surface, plainly visible because of the short sleeves of his white T-shirt. He stuck his hands in his pockets to restrain himself from repeating that action. He didn't want to be viewed as some depressed guy who felt the need to harm himself. In the back of his mind, he recognized this as the way Ulquiorra would always walk. At one time, he may have found this realization a hilarious daydream, something he could tease the green-eyed man about relentlessly until a finger was pointed at Grimmjow's face, a cero forming at the tip. That would have been just fine back then because Grimmjow would have been looking for the fight in the first place.

His thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of reiatsu. Low level. Non-threatening. However, he pulled his hat down further over his face and hair as he continued to walk. Recognition was not preferred.

"Hey, you're that guy," a female voice commented. "The one from Urahara's shop."

In a second, Grimmjow had already assessed the situation. There was no one within viewing distance and an alleyway stood to his right. It took a single swift movement to swing her into it and bring his hand over her throat. It was only once she was secure did he look at his prisoner. Small, spiky black hair, gym bag lying at her feet.

Speaking of which, one of those feet made a move to kick him. He caught it with his free hand. She tried to punch him. He blocked it.

"Let me go!" she shouted.

"I'm sorry, I can't do that after having been recognized," he announced. He was beginning to remember her. A plan took shape in his head. "You're close to Orihime Inoue."

"So, what's it to you? And why aren't you supposed to be recognized?"

His eyes widened a fraction. She didn't know he was one of the runaways? Then she must have been one of the less informed ones. He hoped that didn't make her less important to those Shinigami, though. He'd need her to be his pawn.

"Listen," he ordered. "Today, when you go running back to your little Shinigami friends, tell them to back off the Arrancar hunt. If they don't, we will be bringing a fight with us."

"Arrancar hunt?"

She really _wasn't_ informed in all of this. Grimmjow held back a sigh. "Just do it."

"I don't understand why you don't just threaten me not to talk or kidnap me like you did Orihime," Tatsuki pointed out. "Unless you need me to deliver the message as some plan of yours."

"You're giving me ideas," Grimmjow said. "I could kidnap you if that's what you wanted. I could also kill you. However, I don't need that blood on my hands. We're not trying to anger the Soul Society."

"You just want to be left alone?" Tatsuki asked. His grip on her throat had loosened and she'd stopped struggling. Something about his icy blue eyes caught her attention.

"We came here asking for assistance and offering the same in turn. They pointed their swords in our faces." His voice had become completely monotone again. "Retaliation is our only choice."

_He's sad,_ Tatsuki realized. That's what she saw in his eyes. Loss and longing. "You want to be human, don't you?"

His grip tightened again. "What about me makes you think I want to be a pathetic _human_?"

She couldn't answer due to the restriction on her throat. It was hard enough to choke in air.

He let her go. "Give the Shinigami the message."

"And if I don't?"

"Then the battle will come in due time and I can't guarantee how many of your friends will survive."

…

Karin's eyes shot open into the darkness, her heart and lungs working overtime. A nightmare.

"Karin?" Ichigo whispered. He stood in her doorway. "What's going on? I felt your reiatsu spike."

"Just a nightmare," she muttered. "Sorry if I woke you up."

"Nah, I was just going to bed, actually," Ichigo said.

"Is Toshiro back yet?"

The orange-haired teen's classic scowl appeared. "No. None of us have any clue where he's gone. I was out looking a little while ago, but no luck. Matsumoto can't even feel his reiatsu. I wouldn't worry about it, though. He's probably sleeping on a roof by now."

"Mm," Karin said.

"Was that what your nightmare was about?"

"Of course not!" she denied. "Why would I be worried about that brat?"

"Keep your voice down," Ichigo warned. "You'll wake up Yuzu. Why don't you come out into the hall?"

"I should really just go back to bed," she retorted, but she was getting up even as she said it.

"Didn't I tell you at the beginning of all this," Ichigo said, "that you'd have to be patient with Toshiro for a while?"

"I know," she grumbled.

"So what was your nightmare about?"

Karin crossed her arms and stared at the floor. She rocked back and forth on her feet. "Nothing."

"Okay, you don't have to tell me," Ichigo sighed. "I'm only trying to help."

Karin frowned. "When's this going to be over?"

"I don't know," Ichigo answered.

"I don't think it ever will be," she mumbled. "First this and soon they'll be forcing us into Soul Society. What about Dad and Yuzu? All my friends?"

"We'll get through this somehow," Ichigo responded. "I promise."

There was a knock on the door.

"Those reiatsu feel familiar," Karin said. "I think one of them is Toshiro."

The two stumbled down the stairs and to the door. Ichigo flung it open.

"Found him."

Matsumoto's smile was motherly. She held the small captain in her arms.

"Um, hi, Ichigo," Orihime greeted nervously from behind the taller woman.

Ichigo motioned them in. "Rangiku, Orihime. Hi. How did you…?"

"Kido," Matsumoto answered. "He's going to be really mad at me when he wakes up."

"Since Rangiku's been staying with me, I helped her look," Orihime informed.

That's when Matsumoto finally noticed the room's other occupant. "Karin," she said. "How nice to see you again. I only wish it were under better circumstances."

"Ah," Karin agreed.

Matsumoto dropped the boy on the couch. She placed a hand on his forehead. No fever. "Why does he keep doing this to himself?"

"Can you blame him?" Ichigo asked. "His older brother just died and he thinks he did it. Soul Society isn't giving him enough time to recuperate. On the overlook the other day, I think it all started to get to him. He just…snapped."

"They won't let him go back to Soul Society until he purifies the rest of the Arrancar, either."

There was another loud bang on the door, this one more desperate.

"Ichigo!" Tatsuki called from the other side. "I know you're awake. I can feel your reiatsu."

Ichigo rushed over. "Tatsuki, what is it?"

She was panting. "I came here…as soon as I could get free. We've got trouble."

"There are bruises on your neck," Ichigo noticed in shock.

She nodded. "Some big guy with blue hair and eyes came up to me. He was one of the ones from Urahara's shop. He said to tell the Shinigami to back off the Arrancar hunt or else they'll start another war. He said…that they asked for assistance and the Shinigami pointed swords in their faces. Ichigo, what the h— is going on?"

"This is bad," the orange-haired male cursed.

Two pairs of footsteps ran to the top of the stairs. The group looked up to find Yuzu and Rukia.

"Ichigo?" Yuzu mumbled. "What…?"

As if the situation couldn't get any worse, Toshiro picked _that_ moment to wake up.

"Uh-oh, that was supposed to knock him out for longer," Matsumoto mumbled.

The white-haired captain's brain only took a second to recall everything. This was shown by the rage on his face. "Matsumoto!"

Ichigo felt sweat beginning to form on his brow. "Yuzu," he said, "I need you to go back to your room."

The light-haired girl disappeared without protest. Rukia ran the rest of the way down the stairs, coming to stop beside the suddenly pale Matsumoto.

"Captain," the lieutenant greeted nervously. "Um, good morning?"

He was literally shaking with anger now. "Why?"

"Well, you see…" she muttered, playing with the ends of her scarf.

"Give her a break," Ichigo cut in. "She was just worried. All of us were."

"Matsumoto, did you stop to think that the phone call I _just_ finished might have been important?" Toshiro snapped.

"But you would have run away again if I didn't act immediately," she said.

"No, I wouldn't have," he responded. "I was on my way _back_ to deliver the important news."

"Did they find Ulquiorra?" Orihime piped up. She immediately regretted it when the icy glare was sent her way.

"No, they did not," the captain answered. "What they _did_ do was decide that due to recent events, they want the relocation to be _at midnight._"

…

**Thanks to: ****Kitsura E.****, ****windlily,****-SoManyUpsAndDowns-****, and ****fan girl 666****.**

**Note: I just posted two more companion pieces to this in addition to **_**First Strike**_**. They are titled **_**Enclosed**_** and **_**Rain, Rain, Here to Stay.**_

**Writing companion pieces helps me sort out my brain.**


	19. Falling Apart Again

**19**

**Falling Apart Again**

…

The phone rang. Once…twice…_click._

"It's the middle of the night," Grimmjow answered. "What do you want?"

Pause.

"What does that mean?" Grimmjow felt emotion rise to his face. Shock, more specifically. "Understood. Midnight. We'll be there."

"Grimmjow!" Ira and Ari screamed, running into the room.

"What are you two doing up?" the blue-haired man wondered, ending the call. They didn't seem to notice the action from beneath their panic.

His head shot up as Kaeliel dropped onto the ground. Motionless. The twins quivered by Grimmjow's side, holding tightly onto the fabric of his T-shirt. However, the man seemed unfazed.

"So you're back," Grimmjow stated. "Good. We need another monster."

…

It was dark and late and they were all beginning to feel the sharp bite of fear. That night, no one went home. If you were tired, you found a nice spot to drop, preferably one that was out of everybody's way. Most, however, found sleep impossible.

Toshiro leaned against a wall, nursing an oncoming migraine. What kido technique did Matsumoto use? On the other side of the room, he noticed Karin clinging to her older brother. Ichigo was calling Chad and Uryu. The latter was planning an escape attempt. Orihime and Tatsuki sat quietly in the kitchen.

They had one last day to say goodbye to everyone.

Ichigo left the room, telling Karin to stay where she was for a moment. Her eyes drifted over to the white-haired boy and for a moment, she looked afraid of him. Toshiro turned his head away. People fearing him was what he was used to. Things were back to the way they should be.

He would play the bad guy again.

Karin debated disobeying Ichigo's orders. She wanted to be by her brother's side, especially now that her Shinigami friend had suddenly become so scary. Maybe scary wasn't the right word. He was intimidating. The bad mood hanging around him drove her to stay in the corner.

What was taking Ichigo so long?

Meanwhile, said teen nearly tripped over the box in the kitchen. The lid opened a little, just enough for Ichigo to catch a glimpse of a picture. Curiosity got the better of him and, after checking to make sure the young captain was occupied, he picked the picture up.

_Wow_, he thought. _They actually used to be normal._ It was almost hard to imagine Toshiro any smaller than he was. Equally as difficult as it was to realize that Ulquiorra had the ability to smile. The older Hitsugaya had to be maybe two or three years younger than Ichigo himself. He was skinny and kind of short, the dark hair hanging limp and messy across his humanly pale forehead. It wasn't very long, which allowed for small tufts to spike up around the bottom.

Toshiro seemed happy enough. Although, the black hair rather than the familiar white was a distraction. His skin was tanner than his brother's and he looked healthier. The comparison to the person he was today was enough to make Ichigo sad.

"I don't remember giving you permission to look at that."

Ichigo spun around, looking every bit like a guilty child. Toshiro glared at him, grabbing the picture.

"Sorry," Ichigo muttered.

"Like I care," Toshiro said. His eyes lingered on the old photo for a second before placing it back in the box.

Ichigo stared him down. "Is this whole tough and uncaring thing a way to get over what happened?"

"This is the way I've always been," Toshiro replied.

"My point exactly."

The younger shook his head. "Think what you may, but keep those thoughts to yourself."

"Would it kill you to care for once?"

The temperature dropped. "Don't give me that speech when caring was what got Katashi killed."

"Toshiro, he was your older brother," Ichigo said. "No one's going to blame you for missing him."

"Maybe not, but they can blame me for losing control and for shirking my responsibilities," the young captain growled back. "I am a captain. If I lose it, then more lives will be taken."

"You're scaring everyone."

"And you're doing _that_ again."

"Doing what?"

Toshiro's fists clenched. "I will remind you this one last time, Ichigo _Kurosaki._ You have no right to treat me as if I am Karin or Yuzu. Stop trying to take Katashi's place. Also, stop inferring that I hold any sort of dependency toward him. I am perfectly self-sufficient. People have thrown rocks at my head and I've been able to get through it. You act as though I am some small child who needs someone to take care of them."

"It's not that. I just thought—"

"I don't need your d— help."

At that point, the silence decided to announce itself. Toshiro's rant had earned everyone's attention.

Disappointment showed on Ichigo's face. "You're really cold, you know that?" he asked. "If anyone even thinks of getting near you, you give them frostbite. And do you want to know the truth? There were times when you would say something or you would smile and I thought for a second that we were getting to know the real you; the one underneath the ice who actually had a heart. I guess that was my mistake."

Toshiro was taken aback at this, but tried not to let it show. "Are you done yet?"

"No," Ichigo answered. "There's something else you should know. If Katashi saw you like this, it would hurt him."

"You have no authority to make that conclusion!" Toshiro snapped.

"Actually, I do," Ichigo said. "He told me. It's kind of funny; he used to be a lot like you back when he was an Arrancar. Hard as rock on the outside, denying all emotions. Empty. Even then, though, he wondered what a heart was and I could tell he was becoming more human. I told him that and he attacked me. The thing is, after he came back, I was able to realize that the Hollow I first saw had been the fake and there was a _real_ Ulquiorra after all: Katashi. He was overprotective and stubborn and determined, but he was a good person."

"Stop it," Toshiro muttered.

"Did you know that he hasn't been an actual Arrancar ever since he was reborn? He's been completely half Hollow and half Shinigami, as opposed to being more of one side. The thing is, he could force a lean toward either direction, except he only _knew_ how to use his Arrancar powers, so he did. I know this because I was there when it happened. Not being able to control the Hollow bothered him, so he tried taking off the necklace to test his strength against it. He was fine until Urahara aggravated him. He reached his limits and the Hollow began to take over. Since I went through Vizard training, I tried to help and we subdued it long enough for him to put the necklace back on. The first thing he said to me was not to tell you. He didn't want to hurt you."

"That's enough, Kurosaki," Toshiro said a little louder.

"I talked to him before he died and you know what he said?" Ichigo's emotions were boiling now. "He said that he was thankful there were so many people who cared about you. He wanted to know that you weren't left alone when he was a Hollow and that you wouldn't be left alone anytime in the future. He also tried to make sure that you wouldn't become as empty as he had been or as cold as you're being now. That was the real Ulquiorra. He _cared_, Toshiro. He probably cared more than he'd like to admit."

"Shut up!" Toshiro shouted.

"Why? So you can go on pretending that it isn't true?" Ichigo demanded.

Toshiro's face turned red in anger. His fists shook. His eyes were glassy with either rage or despair, a difference that was becoming less apparent by the second. If tears had existed at all, they stayed lodged where they were, never allowed to fall.

Why was it that Ichigo always managed to break him?

"I know it's true," Toshiro admitted. "I know that the same way I know that Katashi only died in the first place because of me. I know that I should have been the Hollow instead of him. I know that everything is all my d— fault, alright? So just shut up!"

Everything became quiet again. Toshiro's chest heaved from heavy breathing. It was an intense outburst. Once it started, it became unstoppable. That idiot, Kurosaki.

Suddenly, arms wrapped around him from behind. Matsumoto was there. He could feel each person staring at him. Not in fear this time, but in astonishment. He resisted the urge to run away. Instead, he kept his eyes locked steadily on Ichigo.

The teenage boy only said one thing:

"It wasn't your fault."

And that was it. Toshiro wanted to strangle him. He wanted to scream until all of Karakura could hear him. Until they could hear him all the way in Soul Society so that maybe Katashi would recognize the sound. He wanted to slay a thousand Hollows and freeze everything around him in the process.

He wanted to act like a complete child.

"I know it hurts," Ichigo said, "but you'd never be able to get over it if you kept going on like you were."

"You have no clue what you're talking about," Toshiro accused. "Have you ever had to kill someone close to you with your own hands?"

"You didn't kill him!" Ichigo shouted.

"Of course I did," Toshiro said. "I remember—"

"Ukitake fixed your memory," Ichigo explained. "You were asleep that whole night. Ulquiorra killed himself."

"Why the h— would he change my memory?" Toshiro demanded. Matsumoto's "hug" was becoming more like a restraint now.

Ichigo felt himself taking pity on this boy. "He thought that it would provide closure and that you'd be at peace knowing he wanted it. I guess Ukitake was wrong."

"For what reason would Katashi kill himself in the first place?" Toshiro was calming down slightly now.

Ichigo closed his eyes.

"So you wouldn't have to."

…

**I swear to you that this will be the last major argument that Toshiro and Ichigo have regarding this topic. The final fight should be staring soon.**

**Thank you: ****kyokun928****, ****fan girl 666****, and ****–SoManyUpsAndDowns-****!**


	20. Home

**20**

**Home**

…

Shinji grinned like mad over in the Vizards' warehouse. "You don't say?"

"What's he saying?" Hiyori demanded, trying to get as close to the phone as possible. Shinji held it away from her.

"Midnight?" the blonde asked. "The perfect time for a party."

"Party?" Rose piped up after overhearing. The rest of the Vizards were suddenly interested in this conversation.

Shinji laughed. "Oh, we'll be there alright. Goodbye."

"What's going on?" Love wondered.

"How would you guys like to attend a little…sporting event?"

…

Karin packed away a few of her most treasured possessions. She'd taken them from her room and then packed them in Ichigo's so she wouldn't wake up Yuzu. Everyone had left to make their final preparations for tonight. Their alibi was a road trip. Simple as that. Well, except for the fact that in three days, their vehicle would fall off a bridge. Currently, Ichigo was trying for something a little less permanent.

Speaking of the orange-haired devil, here he came. He'd been downstairs with Toshiro for a bit, trying to get everything sorted out. Orihime had been there too for awhile due to her own personal experience. She'd lost her older brother, Sora. Surely she'd be able to help Toshiro through this. The several temperature drops through the night had told her it wasn't working so well, but it had been warm for about ten minutes now.

"How did it go?" she asked.

That's when she realized Ichigo wasn't alone. He pushed the white-haired boy in front of him. Toshiro looked torn between embarrassment and irritation, arms folded across his chest, stare fixed on anywhere but her.

"Karin Kurosaki, I apologize," he mumbled, "for being so rude in the face of your kindness and hospitality. I shouldn't have taken my…_problems_ out on you and everyone else. It was wrong and I hope that you will forgive me."

He was startled by her laughter. Karin doubled over. "All you had to say was 'I'm sorry.' I wasn't expecting a speech. Duh, I forgive you. That's what friends are for, right, Toshiro?"

He nodded slowly, as if still in shock.

"See, now that wasn't so bad, was it?" Ichigo asked.

Toshiro grumbled at the words. He didn't like giving sincere, deep, heartfelt apologies. Apparently, Karin didn't care either. This worsened his mood and he could feel his cheeks turning a faint pink.

"_Now_ you're allowed to leave," Ichigo said. The boy shot off like a rocket.

"Where's he going?" Karin wondered.

"Probably somewhere less embarrassing," Ichigo said. "Besides, I think he doesn't want to interfere with our last day here. I have a feeling we'll see plenty of him in Soul Society."

"Speaking of which, I guess Dad's not coming home, huh?" Karin's shoulders dropped. _I never thought I'd miss old goat face. Then again, I never thought I'd have to leave the World of the Living to stay in Soul Society._

Ichigo put a hand around her shoulder. "Maybe he'll come home today. You never know. At least we can call him."

"Yeah, I guess so," Karin mumbled. "We'll just have to focus all our attention on Yuzu then."

"Ah," Ichigo agreed. He glanced at his window. "The sun's almost done rising. She should be waking up in a little bit."

"Man, we haven't slept practically the whole night," Karin groaned.

"I hear you," Ichigo said. "C'mon. We can go get something highly caffeinated before she's up."

…

Toshiro watched the tail end of the sunrise. He was perched on the same railing he'd sat on to watch it set. Once the spectacle ended, he walked over to the trees where Katashi and Ichigo had hidden when they spied on him and Karin. He stood there for a second.

"Captain," Matsumoto called. She flash-stepped to his side.

"Yes, Matsumoto?" Toshiro replied.

"What you said back there…" she trailed. "You could have always come to me."

"You're my lieutenant, Matsumoto, not my _mother._"

Her eyes narrowed, hidden behind her long hair. "I know."

"There was nothing you could do. It's all in the past now." He turned away from the sight of the railing; back toward the path.

"Still." Her head dipped. "It hurts to see you in pain."

"Matsumoto," he groaned.

"And I thought it was nice when you called me 'Rangiku' that one time, even if you didn't realize it," she whispered.

He shook his head. "Don't try to cross the line."

"I'm not," she answered. "I'm only attempting to push it back."

He took a few steps forward, then paused. "But Matsumoto, I am…_very_ sorry for the way I was acting."

She turned to look at him, but he was already half-way down the hill.

…

Orihime swung by the book shop with a heavy heart.

"Miss Inoue, I don't believe you're working today," the manager noted.

"I know," she said.

"Do you know where Hitsugaya is?" he asked. "He was supposed to show up yesterday."

Even the mention was causing her eyes to water. She bit her lip. Be strong, Orihime. Be strong. The man seemed to realize that something was wrong.

"Well," Orihime began, "that's what I came here to say. Ulquiorra was in an accident."

"Is he going to be alright?"

"I don't know," Orihime said, "but I really hope so. I came to give his resignation. And mine."

"Two of my best workers in the same day," the man sighed. "Although that explains this." The man drew Ulquiorra's ID out of his pocket. "I found it on the desk. I guess someone came by to drop it off, but there was no note."

"Um, I know this is a strange request, but can I have it?" Orihime asked.

He smiled. "Sure."

She held it close to her heart. It was the only picture of Ulquiorra she had. It became harder to keep back the tears. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

She handed him her own ID badge and left. The wetness traveled down her face as she shifted into a run. _He would have called me silly for crying, _she thought to herself. _No, don't talk like that. Captain Ukitake will find him and he'll remember me and everyone will be happy. Even if he doesn't remember me, we can become friends again. It'll be like Las Noches never happened._

"Orihime?"

The girl opened her teary eyes to see dark hair and glasses. "Uryu."

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I-I'm fine," she lied. "I'm just nervous about going to Soul Society. That's right. You're not going, are you?"

He frowned. "My escape plan fell through," he said. "As much as I hate the Shinigami, I'm going to go along for it, but not for them. I'm going to see if I can find my grandfather there. What about you? Are you going to try to find Sora?"

"To tell you the truth, I never even thought about it," she whispered. "Oh, I'm such a horrible person! But then again, what if Sora doesn't want to remember me? What if he's happy the way he is now? Maybe he's a Shinigami or going to the Academy. I…"

Uryu ran the rest of the distance and put a hand on her shoulder. "Orihime?"

"Why can't I stop crying?" she sobbed.

With a sigh, he gave her his shoulder to cry on. Her face turned chili-pepper red. "What…?"

He put his arm across her back. "I won't say everything's going to be okay because I don't like promising things I'm not sure of. We're all going to try our best, though, to make it okay."

She pulled back, face soaked. "T-thank you."

"You know, I'm surprised Kurosaki's going along with this," Uryu commented. "Usually he fights until he can't stand anymore."

"It's because he knows," Orihime said. "He knows that if he runs, then he still can't see his family and friends. This way, at least he'll have Rukia and Renji and everyone else from Soul Society. Uryu, aren't you going to miss your father?"

"Not really," the Quincy muttered. "We never got along well and when I told him about all of this, he said I was better off being with the Shinigami because I'd helped them so many times."

"Oh," Orihime said.

"Ichigo, his sister, and Tatsuki are the only ones who still have family left to miss."

"Then…we'll just have to make a new family."

Uryu looked at her in puzzlement.

She smiled brightly even through the tears. "You, me, Ichigo, Tatsuki, Chad, Rukia. Even Karin and maybe Toshiro. And…if we find Ulquiorra, he can be a part of it, too. One big, happy family."

Uryu couldn't help it anymore. He started laughing. "Orihime, you truly have a beautiful mind."

She blushed again. "Um…I…uh…"

"Did you finish packing?" he asked, deciding to change the topic.

"A while ago," she answered.

"Me as well," he said. "I was walking around the town for one last good memory. Would you like to come?"

"Of course," she agreed. She placed Ulquiorra's picture in her pocket. It would be safe there. It could be packed once she got home. No, not home. Not anymore. Once she reached her apartment. From now on, Soul Society was going to be her home.

…

**Thank you: ****-SoManyUpsAndDowns-**** and ****fangirl666****.**

**Fair warning: next chapter may be a little delayed.**


	21. Runaways

**21**

**Runaways**

…

Ichigo hugged Yuzu tightly, trying to impress the moment upon his memory. "Goodnight, Yuzu. Remember, we'll be gone early tomorrow morning, so you won't see us. I left Dad a message, but in case he doesn't come back, you can stay with your friend, right?"

"Uh-huh," she said, completely oblivious to the seriousness of the situation. "I hope you have fun on your trip!"

The smile on Ichigo's lips was fake and sad. She was so young and innocent. Always wishing happiness for everyone and as long as they were happy, she herself could be so. He stared at her big, brown eyes. They had no clue that in three days, her brother and twin sister would be announced dead. For the first time in a long time, Ichigo had to try not to cry.

Karin wrapped her arms around Yuzu as well. In this one moment, she felt complete. "I'll miss you," she muttered, shoulders shaking.

"It's only for a few days, right?" Yuzu asked, bright as ever.

"Yeah, but…" Karin sighed, "someone told me once to say goodbye like you would never see that person again because, who knows, you might not." Karin plastered on a grin. "I know, kind of silly and corny. I guess I'm just not used to being away for so long."

"It's going to all be okay," Yuzu assured. "Ichigo's going to be there and you said his friend who's also your friend asked you to come along, right? So it will be fun! I mean, I've never met this friend of yours, but you told me about him and it sounds like you guys are really close. But, for the record, I'll miss you, too. Be careful, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Karin agreed.

"Goodnight, guys!" Yuzu called, stepping into the bedroom.

"Goodnight, Yuzu," they responded.

Karin began to choke up. Why were goodbyes so hard? Ichigo held his black-haired sister close to him. She would need him. In fact, she needed him now more than ever before. The guilt clawed at him and it showed, but he couldn't be weak, not in front of Karin. So he let her hide her face in his shirt while he closed his eyes in remorse.

Three hours until midnight.

…

Orihime finished packing. Uryu stood by her door, bag in hand. He was decked out in full Quincy attire. The streets were dark and empty outside, no one left to notice the strange fashion. Orihime herself chose something functional, all the while knowing full-well that they would most likely thrust a Shinigami uniform upon her soon after arriving. Still, Uryu found her white tank-top and blue-jeans an unusual style for her. It was so…plain.

At least they matched.

Uryu shook the thought from his head and stretched out his hand. She slung her bag over her shoulder and took it. A feeling much like falling shot through her. For a second, her mind forced an image of a dying Ulquiorra over Uryu. She never realized how much alike they were. The whole battle scene flickered. She reached for Ulquiorra's picture before realizing she'd put it securely in her bag. So instead, she forced everything down with a hard gulp.

"I'm ready," she said. He led her outside.

"Hey, Orihime," Tatsuki called, exiting her own home. "Uryu."

The Ishida boy nodded to her. Tatsuki came to join them, observing how Uryu was holding onto her best friend's hand. Noticing the direction her gaze was going in, Orihime instantly let go and blushed.

"Hi, Tatsuki," Orihime greeted.

"Ichigo, Karin, and Rukia are going to meet us by the school," the spiky-haired girl informed. "Are you guys ready for this?"

Uryu scoffed. "I'm a Quincy. They're Shinigami. They're my enemy."

"And yet you still help them every time," Tatsuki retorted.

"It's in the sake of common interest!" Uryu protested.

Orihime waved her hands frantically in front of her. "We haven't even left yet and you guys are already arguing."

Tatsuki rolled her eyes. "What about you, Orihime?"

"Well, I'll have you guys with me, so it can't be that bad, right?" Orihime twiddled her fingers. "How did things go with your parents?"

Tatsuki's unfazed demeanor dropped. "I…I..um, well…they didn't actually want me to go. Technically, I'm sneaking out and running away. Or being kidnapped, in this case. I'll miss them, but like you said, I'll have all you guys."

Uryu checked his watch. "There's only an hour left. We should hurry."

…

Urahara tapped his cane against the ground outside his shop. Yoruichi, Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu accompanied him. They all stared at it in longing. After a moment, Urahara turned around.

"Time to go."

…

Shinji grinned while watching the clock. He slung his zanpakto over his shoulder. From the front of the warehouse, he called, "Start the countdown. Twenty minutes!"

…

Grimmjow's face remained as stoic as ever. Ira and Ari stood to either side of him while the rest of his group hid in the shadows of the woods. He lifted his head toward the sky.

"Party time," Kaeliel said, revealing his excitement.

"Almost," Grimmjow whispered. "Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…five…four…three…two…one…"

…

Toshiro and Matsumoto stood atop the school building. A large group of people were gathered below on the ground. Toshiro nodded.

"Now."

…

**Thank you: ****fangirl 666****, ****-SoManyUpsAndDowns-****, and ****Rachel-angelhero.**

**Sorry, it's a short chapter, but I needed to make the cut here so I wouldn't chop up the action awkwardly later.**


	22. Outbreak

**22**

**Outbreak**

…

Midnight struck. At that second, a large doorway appeared. Its gates slid apart, releasing a blinding light. The crowd shielded their eyes against it.

The Head Captain himself stepped out, guarded on either side by Captain Kuchiki and Captain Soi Fon.

"Sir," Toshiro reported as he and Matsumoto flash-stepped onto the scene.

"The crowd here is smaller than expected," Yamamoto noted.

"Waitin' on us, were ya?" Shinji asked, leading the Vizards onto the spot.

"So you came without resistance," Yamamoto said.

Shinji scoffed. "No way, old man." He drew out his zanpakto as did those behind him. "We came for the party."

Several more Shinigami filed out of the Senkai gate in response.

"I feared as much," Yamamoto said. "Prepare to be defeated and captured. Captain Kuchiki, I place you in command of delivering the Substitute Shinigami and his friends to Soul Society."

"Understood," Byakuya answered.

"Not so fast."

A blade appeared under Byakuya's throat. At that moment, tremendous reiatsu erupted from out of nowhere.

"Karin!" Ichigo called as his sister fell to her knees beneath it. She wasn't the only one. "Tatsuki!"

"Who are you?" Yamamoto demanded of Byakuya's attacker.

The crazy man grinned. "Kaeliel Aratashi, former fourth Espada. And I'm not alone."

The rest of the Arrancar appeared in a ring around the group.

Hiyori raised an eyebrow as two of the littlest ones appeared on either side of her. "What the h— is going on?"

"We're here for the party," they said simultaneously, grins stretching wide.

The last to appear was a silent, dark-cloaked figure, dangerously close to the small group of humans.

"We don't want any trouble," Grimmjow announced, taking a step toward Head Captain Yamamoto. Several of the Shinigami close by prepared for battle. The Cero ex-Espada narrowed his eyes. "We want to negotiate peace, like we told your Living World friends earlier. If you decline, we are ready for battle."

"Why should we work with you?" Soi Fon demanded.

Grimmjow stayed calm. "We simply request free transit between Hueco Mundo and here. No souls from the Living World would be consumed. You yourself should know that at this stage, we only eat other Hollows. Humans souls do not satisfy the hunger."

"Soul Society does not trust nor associate with Hollows," Yamamoto stated.

"Did you forget," Grimmjow asked, "that we did not destroy you Shinigami when we had the chance to back in Hueco Mundo? We deserted Aizen instead. Also, because that man is dead, Hueco Mundo is now in complete chaos, causing other Hollows to flee here. What we offer is assistance in taking out these Hollows and status reports on potential threats rising in Hueco Mundo."

"That goes completely against our ideals," Yamamoto protested. "We destroy Hollows in order to purify them and the souls they have consumed. Allowing you to feed from them instead does not allow this process to occur."

"And you want to destroy us for that same reason?" Grimmjow asked. "Because we are part Hollow? I think you are neglecting that we are also part Shinigami."

"That does not excuse anything," Yamamoto defended. "Prepare to be executed!"

"Have it your way," Grimmjow said. "Arrancar, attack!"

Nel stood back as did Pesche and Dondochakka. "Grimmjow," she argued, "I didn't come to fight! I came for peace!"

He cast her a look that held the faintest trace of sadness. "Then they will kill you."

A Shinigami charged at her in that moment.

"Nel!" Ichigo screamed.

…

"I guess you can say goodbye, pretty boy," Kaeliel muttered, sword still braced against Byakuya's throat.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura."

Kaeliel was taken aback as a flurry of blade-like cherry blossom petals flew at him. He used sonido to dodge them, but they followed. Growling, he sonidoed again, this time toward Byakuya. His sword was dangerously close to reaching, but the petals blocked him. Soon enough, they were spiraling around him, creating a barrier. He grinned.

"Finally."

He released a massive cero, which tore through all of the small blades until a path was clear. The next thing Byakuya knew, Kaeliel was inches from him.

_Clang!_

Byakuya blinked as Yoruichi's blade defended him. She scowled, pushing Kaeliel far off into the distance. She chased after him.

"I knew Kisuke was wrong to bring all of you into this," she said. "What happened to a peaceful resolution?"

"Your Shinigami made the first move," Kaeliel answered. "This is self-defense. If you don't want to die, you should back out now."

Byakuya appeared beside her. "To be clear," he told her, "I am not fighting _with_ you."

She smirked. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

…

Ichigo was startled as a barrier formed around his whole group. He soon found Tessai to be the source of it. Urahara was on the outside, waving goodbye.

"Hey, let me out!" Ichigo argued.

"Sorry, Ichigo," Tessai apologized, "but I am under strict orders to hold this barrier until the dust has settled."

"You knew this was going to happen," Rukia gasped.

Tessai grunted in admittance. "Urahara planned it. He called the Vizards and the Arrancar in."

"Why would he do that?" Ichigo shouted.

"Soul Society is corrupt," the large man replied. "They are stuck in the ways of the past and cannot move on."

"So Urahara's on the Vizards' and Arrancars' side?"

"No, he's on the side of preventing casualties."

"I don't understand," Rukia said. "If he started this war, how can he be against deaths?"

"He wants to show Soul Society that they could use the help of the Arrancar and Vizards," Tessai explained. "In the end, there is only one force he is fighting and that is Head Captain Yamamoto himself."

"And if the Head Captain doesn't give in?" Rukia asked.

"He is dedicated to changing the order."

"He wants to replace the old man…" Ichigo breathed.

Tessai nodded. "By all means necessary."

…

It was the trio of creepy grins. Ira, Ari, and Hiyori were a force to be reckoned with. They circled like vultures around Soi Fon. She deserved credit, though, because she showed not an ounce of anxiety. Actually, if anything, she looked annoyed. Three _children_ were cornering her.

She'd already released her zanpakto.

None of them had.

"You can't be that strong," she growled, "if you need all three of you to take me down."

Hiyori scoffed. "Nah, but these two wouldn't get any action in otherwise. Between us Vizards and the Arrancar, we've got your side pretty covered."

At that, the blonde jumped forward and began swinging away at Soi Fon. One. _Swish._ Two. _Swish._ Three. _Clink. _Hiyori's blade came intocontact with Soi Fon's Suzembachi. The two struggled. Soi Fon pushed the girl away and then flash-stepped. Hiyori spun on the spot and blocked the weapon again.

"Is that all?" the young girl taunted. "C'mon, I haven't released or anything yet. Make it worth my time."

The captain vanished again. Hiyori was startled by a stabbing sensation in her side. She propelled herself backward, searching for the source. A curse left her mouth when she noticed the strange tattoo.

"I am the head of the Stealth Force for a reason," Soi Fon boasted. "Do not underestimate me."

Soi Fon blurred out of sight before she was finished speaking. Hiyori dodged just before she hit the same exact location. D—, she was good. Hiyori's muscles tensed as the captain slid to a stop. The girl examined the older.

"You should be less obvious with your attacks," Hiyori spat. "Because now I can tell two things about you: you won't attack me head-on and in order for your zanpakto to work, you need to tag the same spot at least twice."

Soi Fon's eyes narrowed. "You were able to deduce that fairly quickly."

"I used to be a lieutenant," Hiyroi admitted. "I wouldn't have gotten the title if I didn't. That leaves me with one question: how well will your attack work if I cut off that hand?"

The Vizard charged forward with the force of an angry bull. She swung for the woman's wrist, but missed. Soi Fon took the chance to stab Hiyori again, coming three inches short of her intended target. The young girl backed off.

Hiyori was growing violently irritated with this Shinigami. Soi Fon's continuous vanishing act did nothing to help.

"Where are you?" Hiyori screamed.

She was answered with three words.

"Hado 31: Shakkaho!"

Red energy shot forward. Hiyori was covered by the blast. Soi Fon smirked. That little brat was so cocky. Figured she'd get her head blown off.

Then the smoke cleared.

A look of genuine surprise crossed the female captain's face. Hiyori stood there perfectly unharmed if not a little singed. The only change was the white mask that rested over her entire face.

Ira and Ari cheered from the sidelines.

"I like her," Ira whispered to his twin.

"Agreed," Ari replied.

"So," Hiyori drawled, "what were you saying about me not being strong enough?"

Soi Fon scowled.

Hiyori grinned. "That's what I thought."

…

"Kisuke Urahara, what is the meaning of this?" Yamamoto demanded.

The green-clad man lifted the brim of his ever-present hat to erase the shading over his eyes. "You already know the answer to that, I believe."

Directly behind Urahara, Grimmjow and Shinji stood in waiting. The scientist had called them there. Not only that, but he'd helped each of their respective groups. For now, he called the shots.

"So you _are_ a traitor," Yamamoto concluded.

Urahara frowned. "Traitor? This is coming from the group that exiled and executed so many innocent people, including myself. _You_ betrayed _us_, not the other way around."

The Head Captain's eyelids pulled up. "Your motive is revenge?"

"Wrong again," Urahara corrected, swinging his cane around. He stopped, pointing it at the old man. "My motive is justice."

…

**Thank you: ****fangirl 666****, ****-SoManyUpsAndDowns-****, and ****Thunder Claw03.**


	23. Loyalty

**23**

**Loyalty**

…

"_Wrong again," Urahara corrected, swinging his cane around. He stopped, pointing it at the old man. "My motive is justice."_

As soon as the words left his mouth, several Shinigami appeared around the trio.

"Shinji, Grimmjow," Urahara called. "I trust you two to take care of them."

The men nodded and drew their swords.

"What are you going to do?" Grimmjow questioned.

"Something dangerous."

Nodding, the Arrancar and Vizard followed orders. Screaming soon became the fight's soundtrack as Shinigami fell from every direction. Yamamoto glared at the blonde ex-captain.

"You know," Urahara informed, "I wanted to settle this peacefully."

The Head Captain didn't waver. "You will all be defeated."

"Suit yourself," the scientist sighed. He turned his cane and pointed it at his own chest. That moment seemed reluctant to happen judging by the speed it went by at. The cane's tip was thrust straight through in a lethal blow. It seemed that everyone watched as Urahara's body fell.

And his Shinigami soul stood in its place.

It was a rare sight to see. The wind whipped around the man as if in awe of his power. Blonde hair, uncontained by any striped hat, brushed lightly against his face, barely missing the shoulders of his haori and shihakusho. His blade caught the moonlight, held to guard his heart. In this mode, he became nothing short of impressive.

"You give me no choice, then," Yamamoto sighed. He tapped his staff against the ground. Immediately, the wood began to dissipate until there was only a thin sword remaining. "Reduce all creation to ash, Ryujin Jakka."

…

"What is that?" Ichigo exclaimed as the sky ignited with flames.

"The Head Captain released his Shikai!" Rukia realized.

"This battle has to be getting serious, then," Uryu noted, lifting his glasses.

"Yo, Tessai!" Ichigo called. "You're still not going to let us out?"

"You're not to be involved in this battle," Tessai answered. "Even if I did let you out, what would you do?"

"I would…" Ichigo stopped himself.

"Exactly," Tessai said. "You don't know which side to fight for. By doing this, I can keep you and your friends safe. Also, no matter which side wins, you will not be cast out."

Ichigo stared up at the burning sky and then at his friends behind him. Tatsuki was barely conscious, Orihime close by her side. Chad stood there like a safeguard. Karin was gazing in astonishment at the sight outside through the shield, but the sweat on her forehead made it obvious that the high spiritual pressure was getting to her. Rukia…well, she looked as conflicted as he did.

"Let me out," Ichigo whispered. "I know what side I'm on and I'll take whatever consequences come my way."

"Ichigo," Rukia gasped.

He turned to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Rukia, but I can't side with Soul Society on this one. They've hurt too many people this time."

She dipped her head. "I understand. In that case…I'm coming with you."

"No," Ichigo refused. "It's too dangerous and I can't risk that. Tessai, keep an eye on her."

"You idiot!" Rukia shouted. "I'm coming!"

"I'm not going to force you to betray your loyalty to Soul Society," Ichigo answered. "Not for me."

"But I—!"

"Don't," Ichigo cut her off. "If your heart isn't all the way in it, then I don't want you getting hurt."

"You didn't let me finish," she snapped. "Ichigo, you're fighting because Soul Society is hurting your friends, but they're my friends, too. I don't care what you say. I'm coming and I'm fighting and we're going to win this together."

"And what if we have to kill Head Captain Yamamoto?" Ichigo asked. "What will you do?"

She opened her mouth, but closed it a second later.

Ichigo looked away. "I told you, I can't risk that."

"Ichigo…"

A hole in the barrier opened up briefly and the substitute Shinigami jumped out. It closed right behind him. Putting his hand to the shield, he gazed determinedly at the violet-eyed girl. She placed her hand on the other side of the translucent wall, mirroring his.

"I'll come back," he vowed.

"You better."

As his form gained distance from her, she bowed her head and hoped that this wouldn't be the one promise he'd fail to keep.

…

Matsumoto watched the chaos unfold around her.

"Captain," she whispered.

"I know," he said.

"What do we do?" she asked.

"Fight for Soul Society, I suppose."

She studied his face closely. "But you don't want to."

"I don't know _what_ I want," he answered. "Soul Society is corrupt. I fully understand that, but I would rather not fight against them. However, I refuse to side with the Arrancar and Vizards."

"I'm not sure if there really _are_ sides," she admitted. "I think everyone's fighting for their own purposes."

"No allies, then," Toshiro concluded.

Matsumoto took a step forward.

"What are you doing?" he wondered.

"I've made my decision," she declared.

He only needed one look at her icy blue eyes to know the answer. "Go."

With a nod, she flash-stepped away. Toshiro surveyed in interest as the war raged on. The Head Captain had just entered battle and Ichigo could be seen flying into the fray. He closed his eyes.

…

"_There's nothing to say," Toshiro grumbled. "After all, this is the way it's supposed to be, right? Shinigami slay Hollows and purify their souls so that they can go to Soul Society. To think otherwise is to be na__ï__ve."_

"_I don't know," Ichigo said. "Is it always the right way?"_

…

"_I'm sorry," Matsumoto half sobbed. "They've ordered you to kill your brother."_

…

"_Toshiro, one day, you will learn that there are some things you are better off not knowing. When that day comes, I will mourn, because it will hurt you and that will be the day that you truly lose all traces of your childhood. At this moment, though, I know you are not ready to face that realization just yet and I would personally appreciate it if until then you would trust in my judgment."_

…

Toshiro opened his eyes. He understood.

…

Ichigo soared through the air. Shinigami were hesitant to approach him, not sure which side he was on. However, it became perfectly clear once a certain spiky-red-headed Shinigami appeared.

"Ichigo," Renji called. "Why aren't you attacking the Hollows?"

"Get out of my way, Renji," Ichigo ordered.

"What…?"

"I said outta my way!" Ichigo repeated. "If you don't want to get hurt, you should go hide, but I'm not about to let this happen now that there's a fighting chance."

"What are you going to do?" Renji asked. "Kill the Head Captain?"

Ichigo's silence scared him.

"You're not going to do that, are you?"

Ichigo scowled. "I'm going to do whatever I have to in order to keep my friends and family safe."

Renji drew his zanpakto. "Then I'm sorry, Ichigo, but I'm going to have to stop you."

"Don't make me hurt you, Renji," Ichigo threatened. "You're one of my friends, but if you prevent me from keeping everyone else safe, I'm going to have to."

"Roar, Zabimaru!"

Ichigo dodged as the jagged blade shot out past him.

"I'm doing this for your own good," Renji declared.

He recalled Zabimaru, but it became tangled on its way back with a long, golden cable. Renji's eyes followed the length of it to an effeminate blonde man.

"I'll take it from here, Ichigo," Rose offered. "There are bigger fish to fry."

Ichigo nodded and took off again. The battle around Yamamoto was really heating up. Ichigo held up his massive zanpakto, preparing to call out bankai. A swish of black caught his eye, though, and he whipped around to look for the Shinigami. Instead, he was faced with the black-cloaked figure from before.

"You're with the Arrancar, right?" Ichigo asked. "Then we're fighting for the same cause."

Instead of answering, the figure raised a hand and fired a bright blue cero.

"Whoa!" Ichigo exclaimed, barely dodging. _I guess he doesn't believe me._ Ichigo put his sword in front of him. "If that's the case, then _Bankai! Tensa Zangetsu!"_

Power raged around Ichigo as his zanpakto thinned out into a small blade and a long black coat wrapped around his torso. Black Cloak stood there looking unimpressed. Then again, he could be shocked as h— and Ichigo still wouldn't know due to the shadows from the hood covering his face.

"Aren't you going to draw your zanpakto?" Ichigo asked. His last words fell upon empty space. He wondered if the person had given up when he felt a cero coming at the back of his head. Ichigo blocked it with his blade just in time.

"Not one for talking, are you?" the orange-haired teen panted. "Fine, then. Bring it on."

…

Toshiro jumped from his spot on top of the roof and into the battle below. The Shinigami kept pouring from the portal. How many were dead now? How many did he know? This problem had to be stopped at its root.

"Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyorinmaru."

The ice dragon barreled out from the tip of his zanpakto. Hitsugaya tried to keep his breathing even. Grimmjow and Shinji placed their attention on him. Shinji grinned.

"Ah, so you've finally decided," he commented.

"Captain Hitsugaya," Yamamoto called, "I have this under control. You should concern yourself with your other comrades. Unless…"

Toshiro turned his face away from the old man.

Yamamoto's aura gained severity. "You've decided to betray Soul Society."

"I would say the greater betrayal of Soul Society is leading it into corruption," Toshiro responded. "I do not side with the Vizards and Arrancar. I am fighting for my personal beliefs. We tried to reason with you, but you refused to listen. If saving Soul Society means replacing its leader with someone better fit for the role, then so be it."

Urahara glanced toward the young one. "Are you sure about this?"

Toshiro nodded. "There's no turning back now."

"Then I say we go all out," Shinji suggested.

"I secured this area earlier today," Urahara informed, "so none of Karakura will be harmed. We may need our top strength to take down the Head Captain."

Hitsugaya's grip on his sword tightened. Ice began to spiral at the tip.

"Wait!" Ukitake screamed, running out of the Senkaimon. "Stop! All of you!"

Another man ran out beside him. Ichigo pulled to a halt mid-air. Shock registered. "Dad?"

In the next second, Isshin kicked his son in the face. Ichigo was about to scream at him for it, but the black-cloaked man's hand zipped right through where his heart would have been. He traveled on the momentum into a few feet away before stopping completely.

"You might want to pay attention," Isshin reprimanded.

"But you're a…what is…I…?" Ichigo sputtered. "Wait, so your _business trip_ was really a visit to Soul Society?"

"I'll explain later," Isshin sighed. "I'd focus more so on your opponent right now."

Ichigo nodded in agreement, only to find Black Cloak missing.

…

Ukitake hurdled into the middle of the fight between Yamamoto and everyone else. He coughed, creating a nasty sound. It was only partially muffled by the continued clashing of swords. A round of flames almost hit him, spiraling uncontrolled from Yamamoto's Ryujin Jakka.

"Jushiro, what are you doing out of bed and aiding in the prisoner's escape?" Yamamoto demanded.

Ukitake stood, sweat beading on his forehead. "Isshin is not the enemy."

"Have you turned as well, then?" the Head Captain asked.

"No, I…" he trailed off. At that moment, his eyes locked onto the young captain. "Toshiro!"

Toshiro jolted as he suddenly felt a strong presence behind him. A painfully bright light was speeding his way. A cero. It would be impossible to dodge. His arms began to twitch in order to bring Hyorinmaru in front of him when a black shape blocked the light. The cero hit the figure's blade instead and was deflected completely.

As the blast subsided, the newest figure became more defined. A lithe body with messy white hair that hung limply around his head. The man turned to reveal his identity. Toshiro found himself at a loss.

"Katashi."

…

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter as the latest reviewers!**

**Also, I apologize for being slow on the updates. Not much else I can say there. **


	24. Forget About It

**24**

**Forget About It**

…

The white-haired man jumped back into a spot beside Toshiro, facing the current threat. Haunting green eyes were filled with determination. They cast a quick glance at Toshiro.

"Yes," he confirmed. "I am Katashi Schiffer. Do I know you?"

And in that moment, the younger brother's heart sank. He didn't remember. Of course he didn't remember. He tried not to let his disappointment show. "You used to."

"I'm sorry," Katashi replied. "From the way you said my name, we must have been close, but I don't remember anything from before a few days ago."

Pain reverberated throughout Toshiro's whole being. Nothing. He remembered absolutely nothing. His hands clenched tighter on his zanpakto.

"Daiguren Hyorinmaru!" Hitsugaya shouted in fury. Icy wings sprouted from his back, the frozen liquid traveling down to form claws on his feet as well. He charged forward at Black Cloak. The being fired a cero at him. Toshiro had to move aside to dodge it, which caused him to lose sight of his target. A screech alerted him to its location. Apparently, Kurosaki had come in and caught it off guard. Now its focus was split between the three of them.

Katashi made a wide circle around it so that all sides were covered.

"How well can you fight?" Toshiro asked.

"Well enough," Katashi answered. "Bind, Murciélago!"

With the cry, his blade shifted until it resembled a long bat wing. The spiked edges appeared threatening, leaving no doubt that they could and would tear through skin in the most painful way possible. Green energy crackled around the blade. With a sharp swing, Katashi threw it at his opponent. It only grazed the being's shoulder.

The same green energy was then fired in return.

"Watch out!" Toshiro warned. Katashi flitted out of the way without complication.

"It can replicate our attacks," the older Hitsugaya sibling concluded. "I wouldn't fire anything too powerful at it."

"I don't remember any Espada being able to do that," Ichigo claimed.

"Then it may not be an Espada," Toshiro said. "It may not even be an Arrancar."

His lips formed a deep scowl. "D—it!"

…

From below, Ukitake watched in wide-eyed horror. "His attack is much like my zanpakto's ability," he concluded. A loud clang cut off his train of thought. Grimmjow and the Captain Commander had clashed blades.

"I don't know what you're all waiting for," Grimmjow said. "Kurosaki can handle his own fights. We should handle ours."

"Ah," Shinji agreed, raising his blade.

"C-can't we all just calm down and negotiate?" Ukitake suggested.

Shinji huffed. "Already tried that. Didn't work out so well."

"Urahara?" Ukitake pleaded.

The ex-captain of squad twelve shook his head. "Sing," he whispered, "Benihime."

A stroke of red energy shot out toward the Head Captain. It missed by millimeters.

"Grimmjow," Urahara called, "call your man off Kurosaki."

The blue-haired man flew back into the line-up while Shinji departed for his turn. "Can't. He's a rogue. Won't listen to a d—thing I say."

"A rogue?" Ukitake shouted. "Who is he?"

Grimmjow grunted. "Not who he used to be, that's for sure. Hey, you said earlier that the white-haired guy's name is Katashi, right? And Ulquiorra's old name was Katashi?"

Ukitake became serious. "Yes. Ulquiorra was purified and revived in Soul Society. We found his soul alone off in the mountains and only were able to do so because of a reiatsu surge. He had no memory, but he could already release his zanpakto. I didn't want to bring him along, however I thought that doing so might avoid something like _this._"

"Hn." Grimmjow's eyes narrowed. He leapt into the fight again.

"Can't you all stop?" Ukitake exclaimed. He moved to draw his sword, but was cut off by another coughing fit. This one brought him to his knees. As the world began to go fuzzy, he caught a glimpse of Katashi and Toshiro fighting side by side. So alike. Yet, there was something here that was just so…

Blackness slipped over him. He wasn't even able to finish the thought. Wasn't able to say:

_Wrong._

…

"Ukitake!" Toshiro shouted upon noticing his fallen comrade. He was forced to dodge another green blast of energy.

Ichigo shunpoed circles around the mysterious figure, looking for an opening. At last, he found it and charged in. His blade must have been an inch from impact when a cero met him straight on. Ichigo was blown back twenty feet.

"Who _is_ this guy?" Ichigo cried out in frustration.

"Something about him is odd," Katashi concluded. "I do not know much about Arrancar, but there is no way he could be one due to the lack of a zanpakto. Unless he has already released it."

"No," Ichigo denied. "If he had, he'd be a lot stronger than this."

Katashi's frown deepened. This person was eerily familiar. His head began to throb. A flash of an image, too brief to decipher.

"Something wrong, Ulquiorra?"

Katashi's head jerked toward Ichigo at this. "What did you just call me?"

Ichigo paled at his slip up. "Sorry, Schiffer."

Ulquiorra…Schiffer…

A low growl resounded in Katashi's throat. He knew these people. He must have.

But he didn't remember.

His expression slipped into one of anger and he charged forward. His two comrades seemed shocked by this show of emotion and brashness, irritating him further. He swung the weapon down upon the thing's head. It vanished before the hit was made. Katashi made a quick spin to cut it off before it tried to get him from behind. His sword connected with its hand. He fully expected the appendage to fall right off. Instead, his attack was stopped by the thick bone plating covering it. The figure grabbed hold of the blade's tip and used it to launch Katashi off to the side and into the ground. The size of the impact made it obvious how hard the dark being could throw.

Katashi struggled to a stand, using his zanpakto to push himself up. A thick trail of blood flowed down over one eye.

"Stand down," Isshin ordered, flitting to the teen's side. He placed one hand on Katashi's shoulder.

"But—!"

"No," Isshin said. "Ichigo and Toshiro are both of captain class. You'll be more of a hindrance. _Stand down._"

Katashi agreed with the upmost reluctance. "Then what should I do?"

"Help keep guard over the dome." Isshin's eyes flashed over to where the group of humans was. "Do _not_ let anything happen to them."

However, Katashi didn't budge. His eyes stayed momentarily glued to the fight above. Black Cloak was gunning for the small, white-haired captain. Almost like he had a vendetta. Katashi's hand twitched on his sword hilt. Whenever Ichigo interfered, the mystery man would turn particularly vicious toward the substitute Shinigami. Not a simple out-of-my-way blow. Importance hung in each one. Black Cloak was prioritizing. There was a relation here, Katashi knew it.

A soft conk to the head brought the white-haired teen out of his observation. Isshin's gaze was severe. "What are you waiting for, huh?"

"The Hollow in the black cloak knows them," Katashi revealed.

"…I know."

Katashi turned to look in surprise.

Isshin scoffed. "I'm seeing the same thing you are. This attack pattern isn't random. He singled out Toshiro and Ichigo for a reason."

"Some type of grudge?" Katashi theorized.

"Most likely," Isshin agreed. "He's unconcerned with you now that you're out of the way."

"So I'm someone he doesn't know," Katashi concluded.

"Or someone he doesn't hate." Isshin's eyes narrowed. "You either weren't important enough or not strong enough to be considered an immediate threat."

"Then shouldn't I help because his focus won't be on me?"

Isshin shook his head. "No. He's determined. He'll take you out with a sinlge hit if it means you won't interfere with what seems to be a very significant fight for him."

"Significant…" Katashi trailed.

His heart skipped a beat. He placed his hand where it would be, searching for the traces of a memory he no longer possessed. He was a Shinigami and thus there was no longer a metal charm around his neck to prevent losing control to his inner Hollow.

"Katashi?" Isshin asked, motioning with his head toward the dome.

"Right, I—"

He was interrupted by a massive explosion.

…

Ichigo, Toshiro, and Black Cloak were thrown backward by the force. Attention drifted to the three attacking Yamamoto. The Head Captain himself had been the one to administer the blast. It had effectively blown away the offensive on all sides. Urahara, Shinji, and Grimmjow were left more than a little singed.

Ukitake's eyes slowly blinked open, the heat having alerted him awake. Reiatsu was igniting the air; a spark to gunpowder. He took in the sight with the kind of awe people reserve for particularly violent automobile accidents. He pushed against the ground, but found himself too weak to stand. A hand was lowered down to him.

"Shunsui," Ukitake addressed.

"Got here just a second ago," Captain Kyoraku informed. He pulled his long-time best friend up, letting the white-haired man use his shoulder for support. "You don't look so good."

"I'm aware," Ukitake answered, "but the battle is more important at the moment. They're trying to murder Yamamoto."

"I know," Kyoraku answered.

"Then why aren't you doing anything?"

"Because," the brightly dressed man sighed, "I'm not sure if he would appreciate me interfering. This is his fight."

Ukitake's expression hardened. "He's up against an ex-Shinigami Captain, an ex-Espada, and the leader of the Vizards."

"Don't get me wrong," Kyoraku said, "I don't want him to die or anything. He was our mentor. However, I don't think realizing the need for change would hurt him. I'll only interfere if he comes close to losing his life."

Ukitake opened his mouth to say something, but then shut it just as fast.

…

Yamamoto stared down his three opponents. A standstill had come about after the last blasting.

"You continue to persist?" the Head Captain inquired. "Have you not learned that doing so is futile?"

"We don't need to kill you, even if we could," Shinji explained. "We only need to change your mind."

Yamoto's eyes narrowed. "You think you could kill me?"

"Look around you," Shinji pointed out. "None of us have even hit Bankai yet."

"Yamamoto," Urahara addressed. "When you think about it, what we're asking for really isn't that much."

"You're asking me to let _Hollows_ run free," Yamamoto argued. "To let go of the rules. Rules are made for protection, Urahara. Violating them only brings about chaos."

"And what do you call this?" Shinji interjected. He motioned to the fight. "Look at your soldiers. They're dying. Half of them aren't even sure which side to fight on anymore."

"I will stand my ground," Yamamoto defied.

Grimmjow shot a look between his two comrades. He nodded to them. Understanding this somewhat telepathic signal, they shot forward together, blades outstretched. Urahara let loose a massive wave of red energy from the tip of Benihime. Yamamoto blocked it near effortlessly with a shield. Seeing Shinji coming in from the front, he sent an inferno behind him. He knew well of Shinji's powers. It brought him satisfaction to have nearly hit the blonde youth. Then he heard the kido spells being cast.

Binding spells.

From two captain class beings.

Yamamoto, though, would not let this take him down. The spells were relatively simple and it was nothing to destroy them before they made contact.

"I will not be defeated by Hollows and traitors," he declared.

"Really?" a flat voice asked. "You hate Hollows so much, would you kill yourself if you were to become part Hollow?"

And the next thing Yamamoto saw was the Hogyoku being thrust near his face. He flash-stepped out of reach just in time, leaving Grimmjow to barely miss him.

"The Hogyoku?" Yamamoto demanded. "That should have been destroyed in the last fight with Aizen!"

Grimmjow held the powerful orb up for close inspection. "Not quite. I snatched it in the chaos."

"Grimmjow," Urahara called, his voice deep and serious. "There is a piece missing."

"True," Grimmjow said. "A fraction of it fell off after I resurrected our friend in the black cloak. He's wearing it around his neck right now. It's the only thing keeping him somewhat stable."

"Stable?" Shinji demanded. "Grimmjow, who is that guy?"

"He is…"

…

Toshiro rammed his ice dragon against the enemy. Apparently, he could not replicate this attack. Then again, maybe he was simply choosing not to. Toshiro theorized there might be a limited number of times this being could copy an attack. After all, he'd only used ceros at first: a basic Hollow weapon. If that was the case, it was possible he was saving up these powers.

Something about this didn't quite click.

"Toshiro," Ichigo shouted. "Should I try Getsuga Tenshou?"

"It's too risky," Toshiro decided. "It's non-physical like what Katashi used."

"Then freeze him over or whatever!" Ichigo cried.

Nodding, Toshiro focused his energy on using Sennen Hyoro: the Thousand Year Ice Prison. He cried out its name and watched as the pillar appeared. They snapped around his enemy and enclosed to suffocating proportions. He directed for it to move inward until its captive was crushed. He bowed his head at the large structure, eyes closing.

A sharp gasp ripped through his throat halfway through this gesture as pain erupted in his side. He looked down to see blood pouring out of a fresh would. In reaction, he swung his blade to the side, hoping to catch the attacker. The shoulder of a black cloak was torn, revealing white armor.

"D—!" Toshiro cursed.

"Toshiro!" Ichigo cried. With the force of an enraged older brother, he thrust Tensa Zangetsu forward, aiming for this _thing's_ heart—if it even had one. The cloaked male began to sonido away, another display of his amazing speed, but was stopped by the attack. It missed his chest, but pierced his hood.

Ichigo pulled back his sword. "Let's see who you really are."

The hood fell away. A jagged mask of blinding white shown through, interrupted by a scarce few colors. The red of blood from where Ichigo had scraped. The black markings upon its slender face. The green of its eyes.

"Impossible!" Toshiro exclaimed, glancing toward the ground where Isshin and Katashi still stood.

Ichigo merely blinked. "Ulquiorra? _Again_?"

…

**I don't know what to say, guys, for your insane amount of support of this story over the past week. I know I haven't been updating terribly fast, so I appreciate your patience. I made sure to make this chapter extra long because of it. Hopefully, it won't have to last you two weeks **_**again.**_

**I want to give a big "THANK YOU" to: ****kyokun928****, ****-SoManyUpsAndDowns-****, ****Insomniatic95****, ****fan girl 666****, ****Yemi Hikari****, ****Hatsune-chan****, ****hitsugayataichoda****, ****InfernalNero****, ****Azublue****, and**** Jiyle.**

**You are all my motivation, inspiration, and dedication.**


	25. Cycle

**25**

**Cycle**

…

The battle had been a hurricane, but this moment was the eye of the storm. It was silent. Unmoving. Stares shifted between all participating parties.

White-haired, teal-eyed Katashi was on the ground, shocked beyond belief.

Black-haired, green-eyed Ulquiorra was in the sky, giving no reaction at all.

"But they're the same person…" Ichigo muttered.

Toshiro couldn't find any words at all.

It was Ulquiorra who decided for them. Energy grew on the tips of his bone-covered fingers—the same bone that acted as armor to the rest of his body, ending in the full horned helmet on his head. Only his face was visible, long black hair streaming down it, accompanied by the thick black tear trails.

The cero fired, snapping everyone back to attention.

"This Ulquiorra is a Vasto Lorde!" Ichigo realized. "Pure Hollow."

Toshiro glanced at Katashi again. Isshin was restraining the pale teen Shinigami. _That_ was his real brother, Toshiro told himself. This thing in front of him was a fake. A copy. Something dangerous that needed to be destroyed. He firmed his grip on Hyorinmaru.

"Ryusenka," he whispered and entered the battle.

…

In the confusion, the fight with the Head Captain had slowed to a stop.

"Grimmjow, what the h— did you _do?_" Shinji asked. "Aren't those two supposed to be the same person?"

"Ulquiorra tried to kill himself," Grimmjow explained. "I used the Hogyoku to revive him. At least, I thought I did."

"When you tried reviving him, what was your intent?" Urahara questioned.

"We needed another fighter." Grimmjow frowned.

"Another Hollow fighter," Urahara concluded.

"When I got there," Grimmjow explained, "he was already starting to deteriorate. He'd stabbed himself nice and good. Before he vanished completely, I took out the Hogyoku and forced it to bring him back. I didn't think it worked at first, but then he appeared again looking like _that_."

Urahara nodded in comprehension. "You brought him back as a Vasto Lorde."

"Yeah," Grimmjow said. "I thought that maybe there had been some balance upset, turning him full Hollow and wasn't sure if he could still become an Arrancar."

"You didn't revive him," Urahara explained. "You split his soul in half."

"In half?" Ukitake questioned from close by.

"Ulquiorra was half Shinigami and half Hollow. The Shinigami part of him made an easy transition to Soul Society when he tried to purify himself. Grimmjow pulled the Hollow half back toward the World of the Living with the Hogyoku. Because that half was still trying to move on to Soul Society, it became unstable and needed to be in constant contact with the Hogyoku to remain intact."

"So each of those two is a half of the original," Shinji voiced.

"Yes," Urahara confirmed, "but if the Hogyoku shard should be taken from the Hollow half, then it would theoretically disintegrate and return to the Shinigami half."

"Ichigo!" Ukitake called, coughing. "Get the Hogyoku shard from around Ulquiorra's neck!"

Ichigo looked over and acknowledged that he heard the message. The halted group watched as he charged forward, only for the Vasto Lorde to swipe him away with unnecessary force. While Ulquiorra's face remained emotionless, his eyes were another story. They glowed an acidic green, more vibrant than even the energy he was shooting off.

Ukitake shook his head, disbelieving. "No…"

Shunsui gripped his shoulder tighter. "Watch," he demanded. "Do you see the way they're fighting? The Vasto Lorde seems to be going a little over the top, don't you think?"

"You're right." Ukitake narrowed his attention. "He remembers."

"Remembers?"

"Ah," Ukitake confirmed. "Katashi as a Shinigami holds none of his old memories, but for some reason, this Hollow version of him has retained them."

"And because he is a Hollow, he'll aim for people he used to know well or were important to him," Shunsui concluded.

Ukitake glanced away for a moment. "Yes."

…

Ichigo ran circles around his opponent using the intense speed of his Bankai. Ulquiorra didn't so much as move. Believing that he was focusing on Toshiro, who was raising Hyorinmaru to the sky, Ichigo took the opening.

Only then did Ulquiorra turn around.

And show Ichigo the Lanza del Relampago he held.

It missed the Substitute Shinigami by mere centimeters.

Ichigo cursed. His eyes drifted over to Toshiro, who swung his blade down violently. A wave of ice cascaded outward and toward Ulquiorra. Yet, somehow, when it hit, not the slightest bit of relief was felt by Ichigo.

"I don't think that's the end of it," Ichigo said, eyeing the frozen-solid Ulquiorra.

Toshiro tensed up. He could feel it, too. The reiatsu within the structure was fluctuating. It was only a matter of time before…

Ice shards were flying at them before they could blink.

Ichigo and Toshiro dodged the best they could, though sadly not escaping all the little slices. Low growls echoed in both their throats, although Toshiro's had much more to do with the emotional trauma being instilled on him at the moment. His older brother's soul was split into two pieces and one piece wanted to kill him while the other didn't have to slightest idea who he was. It was enough to drive any sane person over the edge. All of it only added to his current frustration.

In this mood and under this light, his eyes appeared a venomous green. Much like Ulquiorra's had been, anyone would have thought had they been able to get close enough without being hacked to pieces.

Meanwhile, Vasto Lorde Ulquiorra was surveying his "prey." Too many painful memories attached. Had to destroy. Had to make the pain _stop._ He wasn't even positive who these people were anymore, only the vaguest idea in the back of his mind. It was nothing more than a blur.

The younger was furious. Tortured.

Why?

Ulquiorra's momentary curiosity left him open. Ichigo tried to take that chance, managing a small nick on the Hollow's arm before Ulquiorra reacted.

Orange hair, the pale man thought. Something familiar about orange hair. He threw Ichigo twenty meters away with little more than his arm. Orange hair. He glanced over toward the younger boy. Teal eyes, almost green now.

Something clicked. The foggy memory was now at the forefront of his thoughts, vying for clarity. Ready to kill for it.

Both of the familiar Shinigami rushed him. He fought them off twice as hard, unintentionally placing more force on the younger. He would _not_ be defeated. The growing need for power became apparent when he started to struggle keeping up with the two of them. Then, he didn't move fast enough. The white-haired boy clipped his armor. A fragment fell off.

Breaking.

Shattering.

Ulquiorra felt his whole being tense with a sudden wave of power. Its source was the infernal _thing_ around his neck that was somehow attributed with his continued existence. A feral noise tore through his vocal chords. Pure, undiluted strength and energy were flooding his senses.

_His own_ strength and energy.

…

Ichigo and Toshiro were thrown back by the influx reiatsu. The force was so immense it had become physical. In fact, there were a few seconds within his crash-course to the earth that Toshiro could not recollect. In simpler terms, he'd blacked out.

Ichigo cracked open his eyes, clutching one hand over his upper abdomen. Scarlet was pouring from a fresh wound. Because of this blood-loss, he thought for a moment that he could have been delirious. There was no way what he was witnessing was real.

However, he quickly realized that his mind was functioning just fine and the fear growing in the pit of his stomach was justified.

The Hogyoku shard around Ulquiorra's neck had pulled itself loose from his cloak and wrapped a strong glow around its surface. Active. Ichigo gulped, waiting to see what horrible new power this would grant his current opponent. The glow was spreading, clinging ever so softly to Ulquiorra's bone-covered skin. The light was an entity all its own. Loving, at first, in the way it caressed the man's cheek. Then it bit. The light mutated into a parasite. It sunk into the bone and devoured it. Ulquiorra's eyes displayed the silent scream his paralyzed features could not let escape.

And everyone watched.

…

Katashi gasped, doubling over. Isshin noticed immediately and grabbed the young man's arm. The snowy hair had fallen over the boy's face, hiding any emotions that may have played across it. Still, Isshin could feel it. Fear. Panic.

"What's wrong?" Isshin demanded.

The boy began shaking. Casting a quick glance up toward the transforming figure above them, Isshin wondered if maybe this pressure was too much. Katashi was fresh out of Soul Society. He might not be able to withstand the reiatsu.

"Schiffer," Isshin called, hoping to earn the boy's attention. "Katashi."

Isshin wiped the hair out of the youth's face only to discover a thin film of sweat over stark-white skin. Concern escalated.

"Can you speak?"

Katashi's lips parted. The words were right there, ready to be set free. Instead, they were choked back with a gasp. Blue-green eyes shot open. Isshin felt the boy's reiatsu drop dramatically.

"Hey, hang in there, kid," Isshin said. He turned in the general direction of Ukitake and screamed, "Something's wrong over here! The kid…!"

Isshin was cut off by the startling feeling of a weak hand gripping his uniform. He took another look at the boy. Whatever he was going to say was forgotten then and there. The message had hidden behind the new veil of oncoming emotion. The grip on his shihakushou loosened.

Katashi's left arm had vanished into a flurry of spiritual particles. The scattered bits spiraled into a steady stream upward. No, not toward the forgiving heavens, but _into_ the monster overhead. The monster that was now stealing his own life.

Soon Katashi would be no more.

…

"Ulquiorra!"

Chad held back the frantic Orihime. The name of the ex-Espada had been torn from her throat in a raw, uncontrollable surge of emotion. She wasn't sure how she should feel about this. He was alive, but not at the same time. She had no idea what was going on.

"Why are there two Ulquiorras?" she asked no one in particular.

Uryu fixed his glasses. "I'd think that one of them is the Hollow half and one is the Shinigami side. How this happened, I don't know, but the split is dangerous. Do you see those spirit particles? It seems as if the Hollow Ulquiorra is absorbing the Shinigami one."

"But why?"

…

"No!" Ukitake shouted upon registering what Isshin was yelling about. He broke free of Shunsui's grasp and raced over, illness or not. To himself, he said, "If the Hogyoku shard had been keeping Katashi's Hollow side stable, then now his drive for survival must have allowed it to take over. He's absorbing Katashi's power and the other half of his soul. If they become one now…"

…

"There's no telling what could happen," Uryu finished. "But from the looks of it, Ulquiorra is transforming into an Arrancar once again."

"That's a good thing, right?" Orihime asked.

"Not if he still lacks control."

…

The particles contined to wind around Ulquiorra. He held a hand in front of his face, examining the pale skin. His armor was gone, although the shard and cloak remained, as did half of his helmet. Green eyes drifted over to his two opponents. These two people stirred an aching emptiness deep within. He blocked the memories trying to attack his brain to little avail. Their onslaught brought a cold anger with it. Holding one hand toward them, all he knew was that he needed this to stop. If not, it would drive him insane.

…

The cero was charging. Inside the domed shield, Rukia forced Karin's face against her shirt. "You don't need to see this," the Shinigami whispered.

Karin struggled. "Why isn't anyone doing anything? Why aren't you out there helping them? That weird guy is going to kill Ichigo and Toshiro!"

"Karin…" Rukia whispered.

Uryu caught the scene. With quick steps, he approached Tessai. "Sir, there's something I need to ask you."

…

The cero fired.

"Toshiro!" Ichigo screamed. The energy raced towards them with incredible speed. Not enough time to move out of the way. In the split second he had, Ichigo was only able to make one minute shift, but it was enough. Only one of them would be hit now. He'd kept his promise.

Toshiro would be saved.

…

Karin broke away from Rukia just in time for her to see the scene about to play out and realize the outcome.

"Ichigo!"

…

In the time it took for Toshiro to realize what the older boy was doing, it was too late. Another person would die protecting him. He was powerless. Teal eyes closed out of reflex. The bright flash of light came a split second later.

…And then vanished.

He peeked out with hesitation. Instead of a corpse slumped over, he saw a shadow that had fallen across their bodies. Ichigo pulled back upon realizing that this person had just saved them. Once the light fully died, he was able to make out the identity of their savior.

"Grimmjow."

The blue-haired man barely glanced at them. Instead, he focused on the being above them. "Ulquiorra, that's enough," he called. When there was no indication the dark-haired Hollow had heard, Grimmjow barked, "Ulquiorra!"

A soft hand landed on Toshiro's shoulder.

"Captain," the feminine voice of Matsumoto lilted.

It was at this instance that Grimmjow whipped around. His upper lip had curled and his brow creased. "What are you two waiting for? Stand up already, Kurosaki!"

Shock tingled along Ichigo's spine. "You're back to your old self."

"Don't make me repeat myself," Grimmjow threatened. "Move!"

Ichigo jumped to his feet. "So you _were_ buried underneath that cold and uncaring act."

"Not necessarily." Some of the emotion fled from Grimmjow's face. "It's not the same, but now's not the time for sappy speeches. Ulquiorra's gone nuts."

"I know," Ichigo agreed. "What do we do?"

"How else do you stop a Hollow?" Grimmjow replied. "You kill it."

"Can't we just take off the Hogyoku shard?"

"He's already absorbed part of his other self, making this copy the dominant one. If we remove the shard now, the process will continue."

Ichigo's hand tightened on his zanpakto. "But if we kill him, then we lose _both_ halves."

"Or not," Grimmjow said, "but it's a chance we're going to have to take. Are you ready?"

"No, but I don't suppose I have any other choice."

"Good enough."

Grimmjow stared heatedly at the Arrancar-creature above them. It was sickening. When he'd planned this out, he'd never expected that so much could go wrong. Now, he'd have to make it all right again. If for nothing else than to keep Ira and Ari and even Kaeliel and Nel safe. He could have lied to himself and reasoned that he was preserving an endangered species, but he knew the truth.

Somewhere along the line, he'd started to care again.

…

**Thank you: ****Jiyle****, ****hitsugayataichoda****, ****-SoManyUpsAndDowns-****, ****fan girl 666****, ****Thunder Claw03****, ****The Silent Cartographeresse****, ****and Insomniac95****.**


	26. In Memory Of

**26**

**In Memory Of**

…

"You see!" Shinji spat at the Head Captain. "This is the kind of thing that happens when you Shinigami force your old ideals into the modern world. I may not know everyone very well, but in case you didn't notice, that was a _Hollow_ that just saved two of your warriors' a—es."

Urahara, still holding his blade threateningly, agreed. "The time has come for us to accept even partial Shinigami. You have to give them a chance. They could be great allies."

Shinji scoffed. "Allies with Soul Society? Never."

"You only hate them so much because they scorned you," Urahara pointed out. He was grimacing. "Head Captain Yamamoto, will you still not reconsider a peaceful negotiation?"

…

Ukitake reached the white-haired teen. The boy had collapsed, with only Isshin as any sort of support. Ukitake knealt down next to him.

"Isshin," Ukitake ordered, "please go check on the humans. I will stay with Katashi."

"Understood," Isshin said.

"Katashi?" Ukitake asked once the man was gone. He placed a gentle hand on the younger Shinigami's shoulder.

"Uncle…Ukitake?"

The captain gasped at the term. "You remember?"

"The more," Katashi choked, "that I fuse with that monster, the more of his memories—my memories—begin to surface. Uncle Ukitake, is that Toshiro over there?"

"Yes," the older answered. "That's your younger brother."

"Now I understand…why he looked so hurt that I did not recall him." Another pained breath was dragged through Katashi's lungs as his shoulder dissipated. "Well, _this_…feels familiar."

…

The true identity of the monster known and the stakes set, it became harder to take him down. What if slaying Ulquiorra meant…well, actually _slaying_ him. As in: no more. Poof! Gone. Nonetheless, Ichigo found the motivation to make strike after strike, as did Grimmjow and Toshiro. It was, truly, the only hope they had.

Meanwhile, the spirit particles continued to circulate.

Sweat and blood clashing on his face, Ichigo pulled back. Ulquiorra did not pursue, more in favor of sparring with Toshiro.

"Something's wrong," the orange-haired teen stated. "Grimmjow, is it me, or does Ulquiorra look…younger?"

Grimmjow paused with his blade held out before him. "It's just the mask deterioration," he said. "Ulquiorra reverse-aging would be impossible."

"So are a lot of other things," Ichigo muttered. He glanced over at Toshiro. The young boy was giving it his all, but he was hesitating on his swings. It was becoming evident that he might not be able to deliver the last blow. He'd come so close to vital strikes. Ichigo watched as another opportunity came. Why was Ulquiorra leaving so many openings? This time, Toshiro's sword cut through the air, destined for Ulquiorra's left shoulder. There was nothing blocking it. For a moment, Ichigo thought this might actually be it. Almost there. Ulquiorra was defenseless.

But the blade was deflected. From out of nowhere, another sword had appeared to clash with his. The long, thin weapon traced down to Ulquiorra's firm hand. Toshiro jumped back.

"The zanpakto has traded sides," Grimmjow stated. "This Ulquiorra must have more Shinigami in him than the other by now."

The tortured blue-green eyes of the younger Hitsugaya flew to Katashi down below. Indeed, his sword had vanished into the hand of this monster. So had most of his body. Ukitake sat beside the unconscious teen.

"Watch out!"

Ichigo flash-stepped in to stop Toshiro from being cut in half. His zanpakto and Ulquiorra's locked with such force that sparks flew off the steel. The moment of the collision froze and all of time slowed down. Ichigo's eyes went wide as a rush of energy seared through his entire being. He'd felt this feeling before. It was…

_A scream. A child's desperate scream._

…Resonance.

_Blood sprayed across the open area. A massive creature—a Hollow—fell forward. It dissolved seconds after hitting the ground, revealing a figure in stained white. Ukitake lurched into a run towards the two small bodies left behind. One was pale and disfigured and definitely, unmistakably dead. The other one was shaking with fear and tears. The small boy couldn't comprehend what had just happened, only that his older brother was dead._

"_Toshiro," Ukitake breathed._

"_Uncle Ukitake?" Toshiro sobbed._

"_I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," Ukitake whispered. He pulled out a small device. "But this will be for the better."_

"_What do you—?"_

_There was a quick flash and then Toshiro collapsed into Ukitake's arms._

"_What did you do to Toshiro?" a wavering voice demanded. It belonged to the spirit of a young teenage boy, maybe thirteen or fourteen. Jet black hair dripped down over his forehead like an inky fountain, yet not concealing the emerald green eyes._

"_I altered his memory," Ukitake said, laying the younger sibling down. "He's too young to have experienced something like this. So were you, Katashi."_

_Katashi glared. "I knew there was something off about you. Now I see."_

"_My job is to protect the living from these creatures. They are called Hollows. They are what a soul becomes when it is not purified."_

_Katashi stood over Toshiro. One ghostly hand moved to trace across his brother's forehead. "Can he see me?"_

"_Possibly, but Katashi, I need to purify you or else you'll become like that creature," Ukitake insisted._

"_I promised," Katashi whispered. His hand trembled. "I promised on my heart that I would not leave Toshiro."_

"_Katashi…" Ukitake reached out for the teen._

"_No!" Katashi screamed. "I promised!"_

"_I can understand that you want to protect your younger brother, but—"_

"_I said, 'No!'"_

_Ukitake flash-stepped behind Katashi to restrain him. "You're not listening to me! If you stay, you will turn into a Hollow and then you will hurt the same child you swore to protect. Do you want that?"_

"_I will _never_ become like that thing," Katashi vowed. "Let me go!"_

"_Katashi, I don't want to have to use kido on you, but I will if you force me to."_

_Katashi struggled in desperation. Ukitake would not release him. All he could see was Toshiro lying in front of him, marked with his brother's blood. Katashi's own body was not far away. Katashi squeezed his eyes shut. He bit down onto Ukitake's arm._

_Ukitake jolted in surprise. It was enough to allow for Katashi's escape. The little spirit vanished the minute he had the chance._

Never leave_, he thought. _I will never leave Toshiro alone again. Not on my heart.

…

Ichigo was startled out of the memory. The clashing blades faltered and fell away. Ulquiorra was staring at him now, just staring. The bone armor was almost nonexistent. Ichigo looked upon him, thinking of that teenage boy, and he realized something.

Ulquiorra was definitely getting younger.

…

**Well…I've been MIA for the last month or so. Yeah. Sorry 'bout that. Anyway, my extended absence means that I have more people than usual to thank (and I hope I didn't lose anyone's interest). The whole lot of you are amazing, really. So, instead of my excuses, let the gratitude begin:**

**Fangirl666****, ****hitsugayataichoda****, ****The Silent Cartographeresse****, ****Yemi Hikari****, ****Thunder Claw03****, ****Rachel-angelhero****, ****.tubby-cookie.****, and everyone who favorited/story-alerted.**


	27. All Things Pass

**27**

**All Things Pass**

…

Karin was on the other side of the kido dome when her father entered. Rukia—thank heaven/Soul Society/whatever for that woman—hadn't let the preteen out of her sight since Ichigo left. Orihime and Chad had also made moves to shield the young girl. It was as if they were too pressured by the feeling of having themselves be protect_ed_ rather than protect_ing_ and so they needed to release that urge unto Karin. She, in turn, felt crowded. However, when Isshin strolled in, she suddenly needed the extra support.

"Dad?" she asked. "You're one of them? You're a Shinigami?"

The others understood well enough to back away. Isshin's solemn face and billowing robes told her well enough.

"Did Ichigo know?"

He was surprised at her controlled emotions. He'd figured that when this day came, it would come kicking and screaming with his children's accusations weighing heavy in the air. But she was so quiet, much like a certain Tenth Division captain. This train of thought was realized too soon. Her face twisted into an immediate scowl.

"No," he didn't know," Isshin said. "Not until just now."

"But you knew Ichigo was a Shinigami, too!"

"Yes."

"And you knew that I could see all the Hollows!"

"Yes."

"Then why didn't you say anything?"

"Karin, I…" He was cut off by her fist slamming into his face. It was alright, though, because a few seconds later, she was hugging him. Still holding Karin, he looked at the others. "The fight won't last much longer."

"Mr. Kurosaki, how do you know?" Orihime wondered.

"Because, if nothing else, we have a failsafe."

…

Ulquiorra felt the mask burn against his face. Why did it continue to disappear? He should have stopped by now. He was at the state of an Arrancar. What more could the little Hogyoku shard be trying to do? He shuttered, causing the blade to tremble in his hands. It hurt! It hurt so much! The hole in his chest throbbed as sharp pain split around it. He fought back the string in his eyes, focusing instead on the blurry battle in front of him. Instinct, he thought. Instinct.

Toshiro flitted to the side as Ulquiorra swung at him. Ichigo and Grimmjow both jumped in on either side, but their lithe opponent managed to slide out of their assault. Both Ichigo and Grimmjow flew past each other before skidding to a stop in mid-air. Their gazes locked.

"Did you see that?" Grimmjow asked.

"His eyes were unfocused," Ichigo agreed.

Grimmjow nodded. "The transformation is most likely very painful. I remember our initial Arrancar transformation. We'd be unconscious for hours afterward."

"He passed out while turning more human as well," Ichigo said.

"Then he won't last much longer."

They were interrupted by Toshiro's cry of attack. He released another wave of ice unto Ulquiorra. The older's blade cut through the onslaught with an edge of energy, but he was left panting in exhaustion afterward. Ulquiorra lowered himself to a building top. His stance became loose upon touching the ground.

"Grimmjow," Ichigo called, "look at Ulquiorra. How old would you say he looks?"

At last, the blue-haired man noticed the difference. "Fourteen or fifteen."

"Exactly," Ichigo said.

Toshiro landed in between them. His face was set in a solemn expression as he informed, "Katashi's all but gone."

"I don't know about that," Ichigo muttered, just as their opponent's mask fell into nonexistence. He was sucking in the last of his other self's reiatsu. Swaying on his feet, the youth attempted to focus on the group. His zanpaktou became his support, one pale hand gripping it as the other clutched his chest. Ichigo took a tentative step toward him. He looked so frail. How old was he now? Thirteen? Fourteen at most?

"I hate you," Ulquiorra said. They were his first definable words. "Shinigami, Hollows, all of you."

"Why?" Ichigo asked.

"You're destructive," he spat. "Everyone I know dies because of you. My father, my best friend, everyone. You should have all just stayed away!"

His voice broke at the end, both from emotion and his age. The sword wobbled beneath him, as did his legs. Ulquiorra couldn't stand much longer. The people before him blurred between indefinable lines. He was seeing the ghosts of faces who no longer existed. His family faded in and out of reality. To his right was his father and, to his left, his mother. Although their lips moved, no sound breeched the air. He wished he knew what they were saying. Perhaps they, too, were wondering where Toshiro was in this situation—because the little boy was nowhere in sight. For a second, he thought he may have seen a mop of spiky black hair peeking from that shadows, but that's all it turned out to be: a shadow.

The shadows were soon all around him. He had no clue that the time had come at last for him to fall. Ichigo rushed over and caught him before he managed to hit the ground. The younger now found himself filled with disgust that he was being forced to lean on this orange-haired menace's shoulder.

"Everything dies," he whispered.

Ukitake appeared then, making a soft landing on the roof top next to the two boys. Toshiro maintained a safe distance. How was he supposed to handle this? His older brother…he barely fit the definition for _older_ any longer. He looked the exact same as the night he died. Even his mind seemed to be stuck in those long-lost moments. Ukitake bent down and shifted the boy from Ichigo's shoulder to his own.

"Mr. Ukitake," Ulquiorra scoffed. "Leave me alone. You've caused enough damage as it is."

"Katashi," Ukitake said, "do you know what's happened?"

"Of course," he answered. "You tried to purify me and I ran away. Now you've brought your Shinigami friends along."

"He's delusional," Ichigo muttered.

"No," Grimmjow responded, "he just doesn't remember anything from before his hollowfication."

Ulquiorra winced in Ukitake's grasp.

"Your head hurts, doesn't it?" the white-haired elder asked. "You're remembering things."

"What's there to remember?"

"Your younger brother. Do you remember him?"

"I gave my life for him. If I didn't, that Hollow would have…"

"Would have done what he did to you."

Ulquiorra closed his eyes. He didn't want to think about that. The words alone were searing his ears. "You weren't much help. Too late."

"And I've regretted it every day since," Ukitake answered. "Katashi, what if I told you that Toshiro was safe and sound. Could you let go?"

"I promised…to stay."

"But you've done all you can," his uncle-figure assured. "It's enough."

Ulquiorra forced open his eyes. "Who can define 'enough'?"

"Just look," Ukitake said. "Look behind me. What do you see?"

"Shinigami."

"Do you recognize any of them?"

"No."

"One of them is Toshiro."

Ulquiorra struggled. His head throbbed again. White! So much white! And black and red and pain—and where was the line between color and emotion? He could feel the blackness and his skin burned with the red. The white blinded him as if it was physical. "Don't lie to me. You've done too much of that as it is."

"_Look_, Katashi. Look."

"Toshiro is seven years old," the young teen growled. "Seven years old with black hair and teal eyes."

"Toshiro is physically _eleven years old_ with _white_ hair and teal eyes. Time has passed, Katashi. Remember."

As much as he fought it, Ulquiorra's gaze locked with the only member of the group to fit that description. Toshiro took a few steps forward. This was his brother. This had always been his brother.

"It's me," he clarified.

"No, it can't be…" Ulquiorra denied. "It can't."

"It is."

"This is a dream."

"Then wake up."

Ulquiorra blinked several times before his eyelids refused to peel back anymore. His small frame went limp in Ukitake's grasp. The man settled him down.

"What was that all about?" Ichigo wondered.

"The Hogyoku was striving for power," Ukitake explained. "It thought to bring Katashi back to one of the most emotional times in his life in order to feed that power, but it over exhausted him. His body couldn't take it anymore."

"So what happens now? Is he just going to stay like this?"

"I don't know."

Toshiro's hand clutched tighter to his sword. "Then there's a chance he could remain in this state forever? He'll be forced to stay in the past?"

"I—"

The captain of the Thirteen Division was cut off by the flash of reiatsu that burst forth from the body. Slowly, Ulquiorra's limbs extended and his features grew sharper. He was transforming back. Ukitake smiled.

"I think he'll be just fine."

…

**Thank you: ****Thunder Claw03****, ****The Silent Cartographeresse****, ****fan girl 666****, ****-SoManyUpsAndDowns-****, and**** Yemi Hikari.**


	28. Back Again

**28**

**Back Again**

…

_One month later…_

The room was empty but for a lone Shinigami sitting at a desk. He looked positively bored, twiddling with his ink brush, until there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" he called in all eagerness.

And Juushiro Ukitake entered Kisuke Urahara's office.

Urahara sighed. "I never imagined that reentering into Soul Society would be so dull."

"Dull?" Ukitake asked. "You're restructuring the entire system! How can that be dull?"

"There's so much paperwork."

"And without it, we would have anarchy on our hands." Ukitake patted the blonde man's shoulder. "I think you're doing a good job, Kisuke."

"Thanks." Urahara smiled, moving to tip his hat down over his eyes before recalling that it wasn't there. He let his hand fall awkwardly to his side. "I just hope this works."

"I think…you put a lot of thought and effort into the Council Representative system. The idea seems to be going over well."

"And how's the old man?"

"Yamamoto, while not pleased with being charged with war crimes, is…tolerant. He's coming around to the idea of being reassigned as Advisor to the Council."

"Good, good. What about our _visitors_?"

"Why don't you come see for yourself? I believe they're in the courtyard."

…

"Come back here, you two!" the growling voice of Kaeliel screamed. The purple-haired maniac used sonido to chase Ira and Ari. The twins were too fast and too many, though. Every single one of his attempts was thwarted until Ari snuck around his side while he went after Ira. One small foot snuck out into the middle of his path. Kaeliel did not enjoy the taste of dirt in his mouth. He glared up at them.

Ira and Ari hid behind Grimmjow, peeking out from either side of his imposing form.

"Tell them to stop it," Kaeliel said. "They only listen to you and Nel, but she's in the Living World."

The twins stuck their tongues out at him.

"Alright," Grimmjow sighed. "Ira, Ari, quit it. We don't need another war on our hands so soon after we've settled the last one."

"Fine, Grimmjow," they muttered.

"Problem solved," Grimmjow concluded. "Now, I think I see the pink-haired one coming this way."

"Yachiru?" the twins choked. They exchanged a glance of mutual fear before running off with a hasty "Gotta go! Bye!"

Kaeliel brushed himself off and stuck his hands in his pockets. He scowled upon hearing Orihime giggle from the distance. "What?" he snapped. "You think something's funny?"

"Sorry, no, it's not that," she apologized.

"Then out with it!"

"It's just," she said, "Grimmjow, I never thought I'd say this, but you make a good older brother."

The rest of the group gawked at her like it was the oddest thing they'd ever heard, even coming from _her_ mouth. However they were so preoccupied with staring that they didn't catch the slightest of smiles that graced the Cero Espada's face. It was immediately erased upon the landing of a small girl upon his shoulders.

"Grimmy!" Yachiru squealed. "Have you seen Ira and Ari? I wanted to play!"

"I think they went to the training grounds," he answered.

"Thanks!"

She bolted off again.

Rukia shook her head at the sight. These Hollows were fitting in so easily after a month. It was bizarre. She'd even heard that Grimmjow would be assigned an official spot on the Council as a Representative. A Hollow! On the Shinigami Council! Then again, Ichigo was offered a place as well. He would be the Human Representative. Things were going to be very confusing for the next few years, that was for sure.

Speaking of confusing; she leaned over near Ichigo. "So you were saying? About your father?"

"He promised to explain it all to me and Karin," Ichigo continued. "I think he wants to train her. Says she may grow up to be a Shinigami in time. There's no telling, especially if Grimmjow was carrying the Hogyoku around with him."

"Are you scared?"

"I don't want her to be a part of this world," he answered. "You know that."

"But…?"

"But I feel like I would be denying her a part of who she is if I said no."

"I can tell you've put a lot of thought into this."

"I have," he said, "especially since what happened with Toshiro and Ulquiorra."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…" He ran a hand through his hair. When he looked back to her again, his deep brown eyes held so much meaning in them. "I haven't told anyone this, Rukia. I think that Ulquiorra knows, but when I was fighting him, our zanpakto resonated. I saw into his head and I understood. A person is made up of a lot of things and when one part is taken away, you get _that_. He was missing a part of himself. For a second, I could _feel_ that pain. It was horrible. I'd never want Karin to feel lost like that, longing for another part of herself, even if it puts her in the face of danger."

"Ichigo," Rukia said, "what did you see?"

"I can't tell you," he answered.

"…I understand."

They were interrupted by Urahara's sudden shout of "Hello!"

The group turned attentive as he and Ukitake approached. The white-haired captain was looking around as if he was searching for someone in particular.

"How are you all doing?" Urahara wondered. "Behaving yourselves, I hope."

"Are we allowed to leave yet?" Ichigo asked. "You said you only needed us to stay a week before we could return to the World of the Living. Besides, you let Chad, Uryu, and Tatsuki return already."

"Chad, Uryu, and Tatsuki are less connected to the situation," he explained. "They'll keep Karakura safe for the time being. However, we needed you here while we established the new governing system, which, thank you very much, is almost set. Only a few small details left to attend to."

Ichigo couldn't help but think that Yamamoto probably would have taken the next six years to get to that point. The elder Shinigami acted slowly. Urahara was fast. Although, no one could tell if that would make him more fitted to the job.

"That doesn't answer my question," Ichigo said. "When are we allowed to leave?"

"Between tonight and tomorrow morning if there isn't a riot," Urahara sighed. Again, he was reaching for his hat. Again, it wasn't there. "All of you can go back, but first, there's something I need to discuss with you. After you finish school…what are you going to do?"

Orihime bit her lip. "Go to college, I suppose."

"And Ichigo?"

"…I don't know."

Grave frowns were passed around. Urahara locked eyes with the substitute Shinigami. "Could you give all of this up?" he asked. "Could you go on pretending to be human? Because I could make it happen. We could place a seal on all your powers. None of you would have to deal with this anymore. No Hollows, no nothing. Just know that if you do decide to keep your abilities, Soul Society will be in constant interference with your life."

"I don't want to give up being a Shinigami," Ichigo responded.

"Then I have one question for you: what would you say to being a full-time Shinigami?"

Rukia startled. "What?"

"After school," Urahara explained, "you _could_ go to college…or you could return to Soul Society. This would become your home, your job, with nothing from the human realm to interfere. You wouldn't have to balance school and work with being a Shinigami. Of course, we'd station you in Karakura for a while. You'd be our Shinigami representative along with Rukia if she'd like. It's still a high danger area and may continue to be once all of your friends have moved out."

"I don't know," Ichigo said. "You can't just slap a decision like that on someone!"

"Hey, calm down," Urahara answered. "You don't have to decide just now. You have a year. More, if you wanted to _try_ college first. I'm not rushing you."

"Ichigo…" Rukia whispered. She held to his arm. "It's your choice. Take your time to think it over."

He nodded with a shaky breath.

"The same offer extends to your entire group," Urahara explained. "They have enough spiritual ability to be given a special classification and place within Soul Society if they so wish. They wouldn't have to live here, just be ready for a call. I offered as much toward Chad and Tatsuki before leaving."

"Not Uryu?" Orihime piped up. "Although, I suppose he would refuse anyways, being a Quincy."

"Uryu Ishida and I had a separate conversation," the former shop-keeper said. "During the fight, he had spoken with Tessai about the new governing system and asked about why we would take him into Soul Society even though he was a Quincy. They were never going to."

"What?" they exclaimed.

"I hadn't fully known this at the time, but I had suspicions, and they were confirmed by Yamamoto after the fact."

"You don't mean they were going to kill him, do you?" Orihime squeaked.

"It was an idea, early on," Urahara said. "After some time, it fell into being a back-up plan. If Ishida did not act agreeably, they would execute him in secret under the charge of committing war crimes while telling everyone else that he had been returned to the World of the Living with a voluntary seal upon his abilities."

"How could they even think of doing that?" Ichigo demanded.

"Well, the next plan was to lock him in a prison cell to stop any potential rebellion, but that, too, became a back-up plan."

"Then what was the final plan?"

"To erase his memories, seal his powers, and place him in Rukongai."

Ichigo's fists clenched. "That b—ard."

"To him, it was the humane solution to the problem."

"So what did Uryu say?" Orihime wondered.

"He worked out a plan with Tessai," Urahara said. "If all began to go wrong, Tessai would allow Ishida to escape through a small hole in the barrier and make a run for it. As it stands, though? I've made an agreement with him. I created a small device that would allow Uryu to purify Hollows with his Quincy powers as opposed to obliterating them. I'd been working on it for years now. With it, he'll no longer be in contradiction with Soul Society and it's easier to offer him protection. Killing him now is an act against new law because he's considered an endangered species. He's safe and will retain as little communication with Soul Society throughout his life as possible."

"Sounds like him," Ichigo agreed. "So what happens to everyone else?"

This was the first time during the conversation that Grimmjow spoke up. "Ira, Ari, Kaeliel, and I are granted free but monitored transport between here and Hueco Mundo. Visits to the World of the Living are harder to obtain because of its fragility. It's the best situation we could ask for."

"But…" Orihime began in a small voice, "what about Ulquiorra?"

Dead silence reigned for a moment.

Urahara cleared his throat. "We gave him a choice and he chose to remain here."

"What were the other options?"

"He specified that I did not tell you," Urahara answered.

"Why?"

"Because, as it stands, it was a difficult decision for him to make. He didn't wish to be reminded."

"But he could always go back, couldn't he?" she wondered. "Couldn't he always choose something else?"

Urahara ducked his head. "It wouldn't be an easy thing to do."

"There's something you're not telling us," Ichigo noted. "You said he's staying here, but none of the conditions around it."

"Ichigo," Ukitake warned, "let it be. Yes, there are some extra details that we have not and cannot explain, but as Urahara said, that was Katashi's choice. Please don't bring it up unless he does."

"Alright," Ichigo frowned. "By the way, where are Ulquiorra and Toshiro?"

"To be honest," Ukitake said, "I thought they were here with you, but I'm sensing them over by Tenth Division. They must have been hiding their reiatsu earlier."

"Can we go see them now?" Orihime asked. "I want to talk to Katashi."

The group froze.

"You just called him Katashi," Uktiake stated.

"Only sometimes," she answered. "It _is_ his name, after all, and he said he didn't mind. Besides, I happen to like the name Katashi."

"Okay, okay," Urahara laughed. "No need to get into a huff."

"I'll go talk to them first," Ukitake offered. "I'll call you if they're in the mood for visitors."

Besides, Ukitake thought, he needed to speak to them in private as well.


	29. Of All The Paths

**29**

**Of All The Paths**

…

Ukitake knocked on the door to the Tenth Division office. It opened fairly quickly. On the other side, there was only Toshiro and Ulquiorra, both with a single eyebrow raised. Ukitake had to smile at the identical expression. "Hello," he said. "You two were hiding."

"More so discussing certain details," Ulquiorra answered.

"That's partially what I came here to talk to you two about," Ukitake announced, taking a seat next to his oldest "nephew." "Katashi, Toshiro," he continued, "What story have you two decided on?"

"Why must there be a story?" Ulquiorra asked. "Most souls do not remember their pasts. Neither shall we."

"We think," Toshiro continued, "it would be best to place Katashi in the Shinigami Academy under his actual name and pretend that he is just in from Rukongai. In time, people may draw their own conclusions about us, but we don't have admit to remembering each other in any prior capacity. This way, we can ignore the entire Hollow issue. No one but the captains will know."

"I see," Ukitake said. "Alright, then, as long as you are sure."

"We are," Katashi confirmed. "Is that all?"

"Well, not quite," Ukitake laughed sheepishly. "It seems Ichigo, Orihime, Rukia, and Urahara wish to visit. I volunteered to come first and make sure that that would be alright."

"Actually," Ulquiorra said, "I need to talk to Kurosaki."

"Oh?"

Ulquiorra nodded. He could see in Ukitake's eyes that the man knew what this was about. Reflexively, Ulquiorra's pale hand darted toward his zanpakuto. Yes, there was definitely something he needed to speak with Ichigo about.

"I'll go call them, then," Ukitake said. He turned around and opened the door…only to find that the group was waiting not ten feet from it. He sighed and waved them in. At least they hadn't been pressed up against it, eavesdropping.

As the four glided in, Ulquiorra stood and walked toward them. In one fluid motion, he grabbed Ichigo and dragged him back out into the hall, away from the group. The orange-haired teen sputtered in confusion. Ulquiorra closed the door behind them.

"What the h—, Ulquiorra?" Ichigo demanded.

"We need to talk," Ulquiorra announced. His hand fled toward his zanpakuto again. Ichigo noted the motion. "But first, we need to go somewhere that no one will hear us."

…

Two minutes later, the two had relocated to the forest nearest the training ground. After concluding that there were no wandering Shinigami with sharp ears, Ulquiorra settled himself on a tree branch, Ichigo following the lead.

"You Hitsugayas really do like heights, don't you?" Ichigo said. He wondered if it had anything to do with why both their bankai/release forms had wings.

"It provides a better vantage point," Ulquiorra supplied. He shifted to make direct eye contact with Ichigo. This was a serious matter. It needed serious attention. "Kurosaki, I know you saw something during the fight."

"When I was fighting your Holow, you mean?" Ichigo asked. Although Ulquiorra was able to stare directly at him, Ichigo initially found a little trouble doing the same. His gaze darted to the scenery and back. "Our zanpakuto resonated."

"I know," Ulquiorra answered. "A connection between two souls. What did you see?"

Ichigo paused, now focused on his swinging feet. "You. Toshiro. Ukitake." His eyes squinted. "You promised not to leave Toshiro, even though you knew you were dead, even though Ukitake told you it would be better in Soul Society. You wanted to protect him."

"Yes." Ulquiorra continued to analyze Ichigo. "As you did with your sisters."

Ichigo's head shot up.

"The connection goes both ways," Ulquiorra explained. "You saw into my mind, but I also saw into yours. You would have died to save them. You would be dead right now if not for Rukia transferring her powers to you."

"But you know what kills me the most?" Ichigo released a sad little laugh. "It could have so easily been the other way around."

"No, it couldn't have."

"Yes, it could!" Ichigo protested.

"Is that why you are so eager to reconcile with me?" Ulquiorra retorted. "Because it could have been you?"

"I'm just saying that I understand…and that I'm sorry."

Ulquiorra had to turn away at that. He knew Ichigo was right. It could have been him. He hadn't been much younger than Ichigo when he was killed, only fourteen. Given that extra year, he could have become a Shinigami representative. He could have been Ichigo. Then again, Ichigo could have been him as well. If Rukia was a little later and Ichigo had died protecting his sisters; if he had refused to leave them; if he had become a Hollow and fled to Hueco Mundo, as strong as Ulquiorra had been on his entrance; if he had become an Arrancar and then fought for Aizen; if he had come back during the war only to see his sisters, having aged, perhaps if one or both of them had become Shinigami in his absence; if he'd wound up sitting here right now, on this tree branch, still talking to Ulquiorra.

"When I'm reintroduced into Soul Society," Ulquiorra said, "we are going to tell everyone that I am a normal soul from Rukongai. I'll act as if I don't remember my human life and only the captains and your friends will ever know that I do. I am going to enter under the name Katashi Hitsugaya. If others draw their own conclusions about my relation to Toshiro, let them, but in public, we will act as if we have never met before."

"Okay…"

"So you can pretend that I never did become a Hollow," Ulquiorra explained. "As far as you are aware, our story had the ending it was supposed to. I was killed and sent to Soul Society. Toshiro followed soon after. We do not remember each other and were raised in separate parts of Rukongai. Anyone I meet from now on, I will be meeting for the first time."

"I think I get it," Ichigo said. His mouth lifted into a smile and he held out his hand. "Hello, my name is Ichigo Kurosaki, Substitute Shinigami."

"There's no need to go that far."

Ichigo only kept staring until Ulquiorra played along. The black-haired man sighed and shook Ichigo's hand. "I am Katashi Hitsugaya, a student at the Academy."

"Hitsugaya, huh?" Ichigo asked. "You know, we have a captain named Hitsugaya."

"Must be a coincidence."

Then Ichigo began to laugh and, if he wasn't mistaken, Katashi's lips twitched upwards into a smirk. Then they just sat there for a second, up in the tree, looking outward, until at last Ichigo said, "So, the Academy. You're going to stay here."

"It is what's best," Katashi replied. "We have reached an agreement."

"Will you come back to visit?" Ichigo wondered. "I mean, the Academy does Living World missions and stuff, doesn't it? And once you become a Shinigami, they'll probably send you in."

"That is not within the terms of the agreement," Katashi said. "I am to stay in Soul Society under constant supervision, locked into the form you see now." He touched the pendant around his neck—the one helping him to keep his Hollow in check. "I completely relinquish my ability to access any and all of my Arrancar powers, as well as accept having a limiter surgically implanted that will prevent me from reaching bankai and will restrict my reiatsu to lower levels unless permission grants otherwise. They are assuring that I will not have the capability of causing any sort of harm."

"Oh," Ichigo said.

"In the long run, it will be better than my other options."

"Which were?"

Katashi let Ichigo's words hang in the air. "We should get back," he insisted. "The others may be wondering if I have made an attempt on your life yet."

"Katashi!" Ichigo called. The older man froze in place, yet did not look at him. Ichigo cleared his throat and continued. "I'll visit," he said. "We all will."

"…Thank you."

…

It was two days after this conversation that Katashi Hitsugaya woke up with a heavy feeling in his stomach and knew that today was _the_ day. Ukitake came by shortly after to collect him and Toshiro. The meeting was unnervingly quiet.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Ukitake asked. "This is your last chance to back out."

"It's either this or Rukongai," Katashi said, "and I would really rather not lose my memory again, even if it means being rid of my Hollow."

"You forgot about the World of the Living," Toshiro answered.

"I would be as good as human," Katashi answered. "Helpless and growing older while you and Mr. Ukitake and possibly Ichigo and Orihime stay the same. No."

"Alright, then," Ukitake said. He rang the door buzzer of the twelfth division, not missing the irony that this is where they were supposed to send Katashi back when he had first been resurrected and, now that everything was said and done, he was back here again, although under more pleasant circumstances. Regardless, Katashi went a little paler.

"Good luck," Toshiro said, his tone edged.

"I'll be fine," Katashi insured. "Remember, this is for the better. We can lock the Hollow away and I can be a normal Shinigami." _I'm doing this for you, too_.

"I just don't like the idea of Kurotsuchi being anywhere near you," Toshiro admitted.

"That makes two of us," Katashi answered. He made an attempt at a reassuring smile. The effect left a lot to be desired, especially when compared to the smile of his more human self so many years back. He reached down and gave his younger brother an awkward, one-armed hug.

Then the door opened and Katashi was whisked away.

…

It was another three months before the new year at the Academy started. Toshiro had stood by with the other captains and had pretended not to recognize his brother during the opening ceremony. Although, when the name "Katashi Hitsugaya" was announced and a teal-eyed young man stepped up to the platform, there were very few heads that didn't turn toward the Tenth Division captain. Both could tell that this would be a long few years already.

…

"Do you think we attracted some attention?" Katashi asked afterward.

Toshiro snorted. "It would have been worse if your hair was still white."

Katashi subconsciously reached up to touch the black fringe. "Agreed."

He didn't admit to Toshiro that sometimes when he delved into his mind, he would see a white-haired figure flitting around in the background. The creature remained elusive. Katashi had stopped attempting to bother it. That was one part of his mind that he wasn't prepared to reach yet.

Distracting himself from that vision, Katashi instead slid his hand along the sheath of Murciélago. His fingers lingered on the small pendant wrapped around it. It was the one Urahara had given him. He didn't need it anymore, not since the limiter had been implanted, keeping his Hollow subdued. (And he'd met with it since. It had been chained to a tall pillar within his mental realm. The white-haired figure had stood at the top of the pillar, just out of sight.)

"Has anyone asked yet?" Toshiro wondered.

"No, they only stare," Katashi answered. "They seem…cautious. Are we certain they would not know I was previously an Espada?"

"We didn't release that information to the public."

"That is good, then."

"Oh, you two!" Matsumoto boomed from around the corner. She stepped in, a hand on her hip and a smirk on her face. "So worried. You're too paranoid. No one will notice. Sure you may look similar…and act alike…and have the same last name, but Soul Society is a big place. They'll pass it off as a coincidence."

"Unless you get drunk again and tell everyone."

"Captain! I would never!"

Laughing, she walked over and gave them both a massive hug, to which the Hitsugayas protested. She then leant back and ruffled their hair before leaving the room. Identical expressions of irritation chased after her.

"Is that something I will have to become accustomed to?" Katashi asked.

"Just be glad she doesn't do that in public."

Katashi hummed in agreement. Toshiro picked up the note of contemplation in his eyes. He'd come to associate it with times when Katashi was remembering something. Though Toshiro's human memories had poked through on occasion, he knew Katashi's were more present. At last, he spoke. "I am…relieved," Katashi said, "that she was the one who found you."

Toshiro's eyes drifted toward the floor. To be honest, he was also glad it had been Matsumoto to find him. She had offered the kind of support he had needed. However, Toshiro also realized that Katashi felt guilty. While Matsumoto had been helping to raise him, Katashi had been off in Hueco Mundo, busy becoming a monster.

"You know," Toshiro said, "even if we'd both gone to Soul Society the first time around, the chance that we would actually have met up again would have been low and, if we eventually had, neither one of us would have remembered much. In a way, this worked out."

"I suppose so."

A knock sounding on the door interrupted. "Hi?" a tiny voice sounded. "Shiro, it's me. Is this a bad time?"

Toshiro glanced over to Katashi and then back at the door. Momo had been avoiding his older brother since he arrived and probably assumed he wasn't here now. By no means did Toshiro forsee this going well.

"Come in," he called.

Momo's head poked in around the door. Seconds later she froze. Katashi's appearence had alarmed her. "Oh," she squeaked, "I can come back later, if you want?"

"Momo, it's fine," Toshiro assured. Roped in now, she had no choice but to close the door behind her and compromise by looking everywhere but the eldest Hitsugaya. Awkward. Toshiro held back a smirk at this. He watched as Katashi raised an eyebrow. Thankfully, he soon decided to end the poor girl's misery.

"You look as if I will hurt you," Katashi pointed out, capturing her attention. "I can assure you that is not the case." Anymore.

"Momo," Toshiro said, "this is Katashi, my older brother from before I came to Soul Society."

"Hello," she muttered, bowing quickly. She was surprised when he nodded his head in return. "I'm…um…"

"Toshiro has already told me," Katashi informed her.

The girl turned to said white-haired boy. "You did?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Toshiro asked. "My older brother should know who my older sister is."

She smiled then as her cheeks went pink and her eyes gained a joyful shine. It was her Shiro's way of really apologizing to her. He may have had a larger family now, but it was nice to know that she was still included. Family. She giggled.

"You two look so much alike," she admitted. "It's kind of strange."

"We looked more alike when Toshiro's hair was black," Katashi told her.

"That's kind of hard to imagine. Shiro, I bet it was so cute!"

The fact that Toshiro began to scowl at that remark only made it funnier. Katashi felt that tickle of laughter in his throat again. Of course, Momo breaking out sealed the deal. He chuckled. The sound was so low, he could barely be heard, but he knew they both noticed.

"We'll have to go visit Gran some time," Momo said. "It's been a while and I'm sure she'd love to meet you, Katashi."

_Yes,_ Toshiro thought, _and then we can blame him for my affinity towards rooftops. _She would never let him live it down. He could already hear her voice now. Perhaps this wouldn't turn out so badly after all.


End file.
